


A Bloody Science

by ThePoisonPen



Series: A Bloody Science and Related Stories [1]
Category: K-pop, VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Character Death, Experimentation, Lima Syndrome, See? It all works out, Stockholm Syndrome, Torture, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2018-08-16 05:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 46,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8088412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePoisonPen/pseuds/ThePoisonPen
Summary: Hakyeon, a fairly new vampire, and his coven stumble into the view of two hunters, Taekwoon and Wonsik. Hakyeon is captured and used to discover new weaknesses, but as time goes by, something forms between him and Taekwoon. And this thing may form bonds just as easily as break them.





	1. A Bloody Science

**I had this idea for quite some time, so I hope it is not too disappointing. I hope you all enjoy it! Here we go! (wow…cutting to the chase…)**

The moon was blocked out by the storm clouds that night, much to Hakyeon’s dismay. He could see perfectly fine in the night; it was the rain that worried him. He knew that people did not like walking in the rain, and he knew it would hinder his hunt.

            Next to him, Jaewhan sniffed the air. “Nothing around here,” he hissed in annoyance. “The rain’s washing away the scent.” He had no blood to drink in three days, and he was getting desperate. “Let’s go to Busan,” he suggested. “It won’t take too long to get there.”

            There was a murmur of affirmation behind him as Hongbin came into view.

            Hakyeon cursed under his breath as he continued down the dark alley. As a leader, it was his job to keep his small coven fed without attracting hunters, but that was easier said than done. The sounce of footsteps alerted him of another’s presence.

            Jaehwan would have pounced on the unsuspecting person if Hongbin had not stopped him. He had to turn away, for his eyes glowed bright blue around the iris. It would scare of the potential prey.

            Being around this earth for longer, Hakyeon kept himself under control. “Hello?” He watched the man stumble into the wall of the building complex, obviously drunk out of his mind. _This is good,_ the vampire thought.

            It was easy to blame the death on impaired thought due to alcohol.

            “Do you need any help?” Hakyeon called out again as he started a careful journey over.

            “No, no,” the man slurred. “I’m good…”

            Hakyeon was surprised to see that the drunk was relatively young, 26 years if he had to guess. “Keep your distance, Jaehwan,” he whispered.

            Jaehwan’s enhanced hearing picked up on the whisper. Licking his fangs, he let go of Hongbin and backed away.

            Hongbin went to his leader’s side when he did not have to worry about Jaehwan anymore. “He’s young,” he commented. “Are you sure you want to drink from him?”

            “No,” Hakyeon replied steadily. “I’m not.” His moral compass was spinning in confusion. He needed to keep his coven alive, but the drunken man was young and could contribute a lot for society.

            Hongbin retracted his fangs, but it was hard for him to do so, the smell of blood affecting him. “Then what should we do?”

            Hakyeon was still approaching the man. He could hear a buzzing sound he assumed was the cheap street light on the building. However, his eyes picked up a different message. He turned to his friend. “Go to Jaehwan.” It was an order.

            Confused, Hongbin began to turn slowly, but stopped. His ears could hear the buzzing too, and it did not sound like a city light. “Hakyeon?” He looked at the leader in confusion.

            Hakyeon pushed him forward with all his strength, just before sigils drawn on the walls and pavement burst a brilliant red. He was surrounded by the red light, as he cried, “run!”

            Hongbin flinched as the color hit his eyes. Swearing, he grabbed Jaehwan. “Let’s go!”

            Jaehwan resisted, eyes trained on the chaos in front of him. “We’re not getting him?”

            “Not now!”

            When the light settled, the two were gone, leaving Hakyeon alone. He was disorientated but managed to turn on a dime and run for it. He had no idea what had hit him, but he knew he had to get away. He could feel the strength leave him and all his nerves shoot to life. He ran forward and ran. However, he only got three feet away before a barrier of some sort stopped him. _Calm down,_ he told himself. _Calm down…_ He took a deep breath and straightened himself. “You’re not really drunk, are you?”

            The “drunk’s” behavior did a 180, and he shook his head. His eyes were no longer hooded and unfocused. Now, they were cold and calculating.

            Hakyeon made a note of the man’s cat-like eyes. _Interesting._

            “Good job, Taekwoon.”

            The vampire’s eyes flicked to see another man step into view.

            The taller man ran up and patted Taekwoon on the back. He turned to look the vampire over like he was looking at a piece of meat, running his hand through his steel blue hair.

            Taekwoon ducked his head at the compliment. “I can’t take all of the credit,” he said softly. “The sigils were your work, Wonsik.”

            “We need to get this back to the bunker,” Wonsik said suddenly. “The sigils won’t last long, so we’ll have to be fast.”

            “I thought you said these could last for hours.”

            Wonsik nodded. “If you’re good.”

            Taekwoon sighed in exasperation. “His skin should be penetrable. Do you have the syringe?”

            At that, Hakyeon peeled back his lips to reveal his fangs, ready to defend himself. His dark eyes met Taekwoon’s, and he almost laughed when the human quickly looked to the ground. His attention turned back to Wonsik, who was busy reaching in his jacket pocket to reveal a black box.

            The box opened with a click and revealed a rather large needle and a bottle filled with a clear liquid.

            With practiced hands, Wonsik filled the syringe with whatever the liquid was and handed it to Taekwoon.

            “Why me?” Taekwoon demanded. He did not want to get killed by a trapped vampire.

            “I did it last time.”

            Hakyeon was done standing around and waiting. “Are you going to kill me or what?” Despite his anger, his voice was calm.

            Wonsik looked at Hakyeon, eyes filled with hate. “Vampires are almost always killed,” he snarled. “We have an opportunity to study your kind, and we’re not letting it go.”

            Taekwoon remained silent, eyes taking in everything.

            Hakyeon sighed. He turned back to Taekwoon and started to back up. He hit the barrier’s limits, the invisible wall keeping him in. He knew he was at a disadvantage because he could not rely on his abilities anymore, and Taekwoon could step out of the boundaries. Oh well, what could he do? With a hiss, he ran forward, fangs bared and ready to slash. Even without his vampirism, he was fast.

            Taekwoon had barely enough time to jump out of the way. With Hakyeon’s back to him, he jumped at the opportunity to plunge the syringe into the vampire’s neck. He shot forward and forced Hakyeon to the ground before stabbing the needle into the back of the vampire’s neck. Panting, he relaxed his grip as Hakyeon went limp. He smiled slightly. “I did it,” he called to Wonsik. “It’s safe no-”

            Hakyeon had rocketed up and sunk his fangs into Taekwoon’s neck. He released the man fairly son, knowing that any longer would turn his victim into a vampire, and that was the last thing he wanted. “No venom,” he whispered.

            Wonsik cried out as Taekwoon hit the ground. He pulled out his gun filled with blessed bullets and ran in. With the gun trained on Hakyeon, he pulled Taekwoon out of the trap. He could tell the serum was working as Hakyeon was failing to stay awake.

            The vampire knew he was in trouble, but there was nothing he could do now. “I guess I’ll indulge you for a bit.” His tired eyes looked up to the moon, and he was astonished to see his coven watching the events unfold from the rooftops. That was the last thing he saw. _Stay away and be safe_ was the last thing he thought before he closed his eyes and slept for the first time in over 150 years.

**So I hope you enjoyed this. Please stay tuned for the next chapter. They will be longer. This one is just to set up the story and test the waters. Thank you for reading this, I cannot say that enough. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	2. A Painful Questioning

**Hello, everyone! ThePoisonPen is back with another chapter of A Bloody Science. I hope you all enjoy it. Here we go!**

Hakyeon did not want to wake up. He had not slept in 150 years, and he missed the peace that came with it. However, he knew his captors would not be so kind. He was woken up by a harsh slap to his face. Coming to rather slowly, he looked up from where he was lying on the ground to see Wonsik standing over him.

            “Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey,” Wonsik cooed, backing up from his captive. “It’ll be a quick visit from me.” He picked up a journal that was overstuffed with papers and drawings. “If you don’t make this hard, I can bring Taekwoon in to give you some blood. I see you haven’t been drinking in a while.”

            The note made Hakyeon drop his head a bit. The fact that his hair was turning silver showed others that he was not the most adept hunter out there. “What do you need to know?” At the mention of blood, he realized just how parched his throat was, and the urge to drink started to affect his judgement. He looked at the sigils painted on the ground and frowned. “They’re not all here.”

            There were a lot less sigils than last night.

            Wonsik shrugged. “We want to learn from you, not kill you.” He took a few notes before setting the journal down and producing a knife. “Some of your abilities are not hindered. See?” Without warning, he slashed Hakyeon’s cheek with the ferocity of a tiger.

            Hakyeon, with his dulled senses, had no time to react, and cried out when he felt the knife cut his skin. With his nerves awakened, the pain was much more intense. To his horror, he found out that the blade was silver, the edges of his wound burning. Instinct took over, and he tried to scooch back, away from his tormentor. It was at this moment when he was made aware of a metal collar around his neck, a chain leash connected to it. He stared at it with horror but made most of the short length.

            Wonsik followed the vampire, but his attention was on the wound. He watched with fascination as the muscles knitted themselves back together and how the skin smoothed itself out like clay. “There was no blood. Why is that?”

            The pain was still there, evidenced by the strain in Hakyeon’s voice. “What do you mean?”

            “I killed a fledgling a few years ago…slashed her throat.” Wonsik looked up from his note taking. “There was so much blood. Why did you,” he gestured with his pencil, “not bleed?”

            Hakyeon swallowed nervously and ran a finger over the area where the gash used to be. “Well, what do you think?” It was a small gesture of resistance; the smallest Hakyeon dared to show.

            Wonsik did not take kindly, and brought the knife slicing through the air and across Hakyeon’s face. As his experiment cried out again, Wonsik grabbed Hakyeon’s hair and forced him to be still. “What did I say about making this difficult.” He leaned forward slowly. “Do not waste my time.”

            Hakyeon got a grip on himself and calmed his expression. “You’re wasting your own time.”

            “Answer the question.”

            The bite in the order made Hakyeon talk. “My heart doesn’t beat anymore…there’s no more blood in the veins.”

            “That doesn’t answer why the fledgling bled.” Wonsik let go and got out his journal.

            “When you become a vampire,” Hakyeon responded dutifully, “your heart stops slowly. The blood in your body is brought to your stomach and it becomes your first meal.” He took note of how he tilted his head a bit in a placating way, a gesture he had not done in years.

            “How long are your fangs? Did you measure?”

            Wonsik’s question brought Hakyeon back to the present, and he nodded. “They’re an inch and a half.”

            More writing and silence.

            Wonsik took his knife and approached Hakyeon, looking like he was going to stab the poor creature.

            If his chain leash was not bolted to the floor, Hakyeon would have run to the corner or attacked. He was not sure at the moment. That did not matter though. “What are you doing?” He had pulled the leash to the limits, most of the links off the ground.

            “Just want to see what silver does.”

            Hakyeon swallowed. He was not sure how long he could keep his calm façade up. “It does. You saw it.”

            “I want to see if it hurts just to touch it,” Wonsik explained as he squatted down to Hakyeon’s level. “I won’t stab you.” Being surprisingly gentle, he took Hakyeon’s wrist and exposed some skin of the forearm. He laid the blade flat against the flesh and applied a bit of pressure.

            Hakyeon hissed as it started to burn him, and he tried to pull away, but Wonsik’s grip tightened and prevented him from doing so. Without any more options, he surged forward, ready to bite the human on the neck and never let go until it was bled dry.

            Expecting this, Wonsik removed the blade with lightning speed and brought it right above the metal of the collar. He cracked a small goading smile, hand still clamped around Hakyeon’s wrist.

            Hakyeon reigned in his anger and met Wonsik’s eyes. “Please,” he said quietly. “Let me go. You’ve seen silver hurting me. Isn’t that enough.” He wanted this to be over and rightfully so. His skin slowly returned to normal, and the burning went away, but as long as Wonsik was in the room, Hakyeon knew that the pain could return any moment.

            Wonsik let go without saying anything and returned to note taking. “That’s all for today,” he announced as he stood up. “Taekwoon will be here shortly.” Without looking at his test subject, he left and locked the cage behind him.

            Hakyeon let a huge breath go, tension defusing through his body as the immediate threat was gone. He laid down on the ground in an attempt to give his body some rest, but was interrupted when the door opened again. He decided to remain still and wait for Taekwoon to come to him.

            Taekwoon opened the cage and came in, walking to Hakyeon with cautious steps. “Hello,” he said, voice surprisingly quiet.

            “Taekwoon.” There was no joy in Hakyeon’s voice as he sat up, tired angry eyes meeting the other hunter.

            Taekwoon slowed down when he saw the vampire’s eyes. “If you know my name, I should know yours. It’s only fair.”

            Hakyeon just kept his gaze on the human. “Hakyeon,” he finally said. His eyes darted to the blood, but his nose scrunched when he realized what it was. “Pig’s blood,” he spat. “How insulting.” It was the only thing he had to drink, though. He took the bowl and started to drink.

            The cold, clotted blood made for a horrible drink, but it returned the vampire’s strength.

            Taekwoon watched Hakyeon’s blotches of silver hair return to a rich chocolate brown. He had heard about a vampire’s hair changing according to their blood intake, but he never believed it until now. “I have to take care of you when Wonsik takes away your regenerative abilities.”

            Hakyeon’s mask of calm cracked, and his eyes widened in shock. “He’s going to do that?!”

            Taekwoon sucked in a breath when he realized that he was not supposed to tell the prisoner that. It was too late now. “I’ll take care of you.” He took the bowl and set it aside before looking Hakyeon over to make sure there was nothing to take care of at the moment. “Wonsik craves control,” he murmured. “Don’t make him mad, and do what he says. You should be fine.”

            That was not comforting at all. Hakyeon could only nod as Taekwoon got up. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

            “He’ll visit you every day,” Taekwoon answered. He headed for the cage door and slipped out. “The bars are made of silver,” he called over his shoulder on the way out.

            The sound of the lock and the clanging cage resonated within Hakyeon. He realized that escape was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He could not break the sigils on the floor, nor could he touch the cage’s bars. He was really trapped. _No. Don’t give up. You just need to think._ Hakyeon looked the room up and down. _You can think of something. You always have._ He decided to close his eyes and think, having lost the ability to sleep. He could almost hear Jaehwan and Hongbin telling him to not give up.

**Chapter two is over! Thank you for reading and sticking with it. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I will see you all again in the next chapter. Also, I am thinking about how to add Sanghyuk into the story because he isn’t in it right now. But that’ll soon change. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	3. A Violent Study

**Hello again. Thank you for reading, as always. I don’t want to waste time with this, so let’s jump right in. Here we go!**

“I can’t believe you actually caught one.” Sanghyuk’s curious eyes never left Hakyeon as he paced around the cage. “Are these silver bars?” When Wonsik nodded, Sanghyuk smiled. He gave them a tap just in case.

            Hakyeon kept his eyes on the newcomer. He knew that Sanghyuk was the one he had to be careful of, for he was the one who knew how to weaken him the most. Sure, Wonsik could burn him and cut him up, but if those sigils were not there, he would walk away from it. He was aware of Wonsik walking to him, keys to his collar in his head. “Going to release me?” he asked, knowing the answer.

            Wonsik snorted. “You wish.” He nodded to Taekwoon. “Be ready.”

            Taekwoon took the safety off the gun and brought it to his side.

            The vampire could guess that there were silver bullets residing in that gun, and it scared him. Even though the collar was off, he still felt chained down, unable to move until Wonsik told him to. He got up slowly to stretch his legs, hands in the air to show him that he would not try anything.

            Sanghyuk had come into the cage by now, wanting to get closer to the monster. He, Wonsik, and Taekwoon had formed a barrier separating the vampire and freedom.

            “You’re not restricted,” Sanghyuk said carefully. “There are no sigils keeping you in here, unlike the alley way. Why aren’t you running?”

            Hakyeon shook his head. “That’ll give you an excuse to hurt me. I won’t let you have it.” He stood back and watched. “What do you want?”

            Wonsik scoffed. “Taekwoon?”

            Said person stepped forward and locked eyes with the vampire. “When you came up to me in the alley, I saw two others with you.” He looked at his friends. “There is evidence of a coven, and we want to know where it is.”

            Hakyeon kept his face level. “I cannot tell you.” He knew that there were no sigils where he was standing, but there were outside, ready to activate whenever he stepped close to them.

            Taekwoon watched the vampire turn away from the group. “Wonsik,” he warned as he saw the hunter go forward with a knife. He valued a more democratic approach, keeping that in mind as he took the knife from his friend. He was prepared to slash through Hakyeon’s throat if the vampire attacked, but he only wanted to talk now. “It’ll be easier if you tell us.”

            “Yeah,” Hakyeon scoffed softly. “Like you’ll let me go if I tell you.” He wanted to try and wriggle through the bars, but the silver kept him from doing so. All he could do was stare at them, for he did not want to face the hunters.

            Sanghyuk watched with interest as he carved more sigils into wood. He kept the knife close, just in case he needed to activate them with his blood.

            Wonsik rolled his eyes impatiently. “We’re giving you an opportunity to help yourself. If you tell us, we let you walk.”

            “What will happen to the coven?”

            “They will be killed,” Wonsik admitted, “but you can leave the city and move somewhere else.” He waited for a response anxiously, not sure what Hakyeon would do. He found himself stepping closer in anticipation.

            Hakyeon’s eyes met Wonsik’s, and he shook his head as he slipped to his knees. “I can’t tell you.”

            Wonsik’s face fell, and he turned to Sanghyuk. “Do it,” he ordered.

            Sanghyuk nodded and cut into his skin, blood seeping out like a tiny stream. He let some drop on the sigil, and watched as it hummed to life, admitted a small blue glow, and fell still.

            Wonsik looked confused. “Did it work?”

            Sanghyuk nodded. “It’s not as explosive as yours,” he said casually, “but it’s in affect.” He nodded to Hakyeon. “Try it.”

            Taekwoon drew his pistol and aimed at their prisoner. He fired a single silver bullet into Hakyeon’s thigh, watching as Hakyeon cried out in pain and dropped where he stood. “I tried to help you,” he hissed.

            Hakyeon whimpered as he was dragged back to the center of the cage and chained back up. His hand refused to leave from his fresh wound, and he was scared when it did not heal. He was left with the ache and burn of silver in his leg, and he knew more was about to come. He watched from the ground as Wonsik pulled out a medical cart, filled with nightmares.

            “Get my journal,” Wonsik called to Sanghyuk. He took out a wooden stake, sharpened to a point. He saw the concerned look in Hakyeon’s eyes, and he smiled. “Just trying to disprove a myth.” He had Taekwoon hold Hakyeon still as he aimed the tip of the stake at the vampire’s heart.

            Hakyeon prepared himself, squeezing his eyes shut and turning to face the side. “Do it,” he hissed. Apprehension was the worst thing. The next minute, he felt the worse pain in his life in his chest, and a scream was forced out of his mouth.

            Taekwoon looked horrified as he met Wonsik’s eyes. “What the fuck?” he yelled.

            Wonsik looked confused. “What?”

            Taekwoon watched for anything to happen, but Hakyeon just gasping in breath, and whimpering. The hunter’s confused face became surprised. “He’s fine…relatively speaking.” He let the vampire go and stepped away to watch.

            Hakyeon’s breath was ragged as he tried get to his knees. The sharp pain in his chest nearly knocked him out, but his body refused to fall unconscious. He suddenly felt the stake being removed, the stabbing pain beginning anew. As it exited his body, he screamed again before falling to the floor and curling up. He could not remember the last time he felt pain like this; he was too old to remember.

            Wonsik wrote down notes about how this myth was debunked, and how there might be more myths to disprove. _This is exciting,_ he wrote. “Is it more effective with silver?” he mumbled to himself. He took the sigil restricting Hakyeon’s regenerative ability and cancelled it.

            The vampire felt his muscles and skin knit back together slowly, and he could stand up on his own, though he did not even try. He did not have to; Taekwoon brought him to his feet again.

            Taekwoon forced Hakyeon’s hands behind his back as the second stake, this time tipped with silver, was brought out.

            Hakyeon watched with a forlorn look on his face as he saw the tip catch the light. He watched Sanghyuk create another sigil, and steeled himself as the stake was positioned. He directed his gaze to the ceiling and waited again.

            Wonsik, with all his might, drove the stake through again, taking care not to run through Taekwoon as well.

            Hakyeon let out a shriek as a new burning and stabbing pain invaded his chest. It just got worse as he convulsed in a desperate attempt to rid his body of the torment, and it seemed endless. “Please!” he cried.

            Taekwoon was not prepared for the vampire’s reaction, and he actually released Hakyeon and let him drop to the floor again. By the other’s reactions, he was not the only one.

            Hakyeon cried out again from the pain and despair he felt. He could find no way out of this, other than betraying Jaehwan and Hongbin, and there was no way he was going to do that.

            Wonsik made his way to the cart and got out a syringe and bottle which was filled with a clear liquid.

            “What,” Hakyeon groaned, “is that?” Part of him did not want to know.

            Wonsik filled the syringe as he explained. “It’s holy water, and I’ve heard stories of it destroying vampires. Stakes don’t kill you guys, so I want to see if this one’s true as well.”

            “But what if it does?” Hakyeon asked.

            “Well, there’s always more vampires,” Wonsik shrugged. He was able to get a hold of Hakyeon’s arm, thanks to the vampire’s weakened state, and did not hesitate to inject the water into the vampire. Then he sat back and waited.

            Hakyeon pulled the stake out of him with a pained groan. “It doesn’t work,” he almost whispered. “There’s no such thing as holy water.”

            Wonsik nodded as he jotted down more notes. The sigil was cancelled, and his prisoner was healing once again. The hunter went and got out an aerosol can with a lighter. He had the intention of testing the vampire’s reaction to getting burned.

            Hakyeon whimpered when he saw this and, for once, crawled forward to the hunter. “Please,” he rasped, “let me rest. I don’t know how much I can take, so please let me heal.” He did not care how pathetic he sounded, but it was all for his sake. He could survive another day.

            Sanghyuk felt sympathetic, and he nodded. “We’re done, Wonsik.” He put some force in his voice, knowing how Wonsik liked taking things way too far. “We don’t want to kill the experiment.”

            Wonsik, despite his disappointment, saw reason and nodded. “Fine.” He could not hide the annoyance in his voice as he started cleaning up. He looked to Taekwoon and pointed to the room outside the cage. “There’s some blood in the refrigerator. Why don’t you let him drink?”

            Taekwoon almost felt bad when he saw Hakyeon perk up at the mention of blood. He could see the desperation in the vampire’s eyes, and that compels him to obey Wonsik. As the other hunters left, he came back with the bowl, having heated the blood to the temperature of a human. “Drink.”

            Hakyeon leaned forward when he saw the blood, happy even if it was from a pig. “Thank you.” He started to drink, sighing as relief washed over him in waves.

            “How old are you?”

            Hakyeon was interrupted from his peace when he heard the question. “I’m two hundred years old. I was sired when I was 26.”

            Taekwoon nodded. “Do you remember being human?”

            Hakyeon sat up, strength restored, and nodded. “I was born in Seoul, went to Europe, fought in the American Revolution…and some other things.” He noticed how interested Taekwoon seemed. “If you stick around when I drink, I could tell you about some of my experiences.” He hoped that revealing some things about his past would answer some of Wonsik’s torturous questions would keep him from another painful inquiry.

            Taekwoon looked skeptical. “I’ll think about it.” He took the bowl from Hakyeon when the vampire was finished and left. Heading into the kitchen, he was stopped by Wonsik.

            “Do you think you could get more milk?” Wonsik asked, opening the fridge. “We’re out.”

            “Why not Sanghyuk?” All Taekwoon wanted to do was take a nap and review what happened that day. “He can do it.”

            Wonsik pouted, “please Taekwoon? Come on, please?” He motioned to Sanghyuk’s room. “He’s developing new sigils, and I’m making more silver bullets. The only one free is you. Besides, you were just going to sleep.”

            _He knows me so well,_ Taekwoon growled in his mind. “Okay.” In three minutes, he was out the door. As he made his way out of the coffee shop, he sipped his latte happily. The hunter got five feet from the door when he felt an unfriendly presence. Had he not been a supernatural hunter, he would have thought nothing of it. However, he was, and he turned around casually, only to be face to face with Hongbin, who he recognized from the night they snatched Hakyeon.

            “Don’t run,” the vampire ordered. His stone cold eyes hid a fire of hate as he took a step closer. “We need to talk.”

**Cliffhanger! I am sorry for the delay. I just had a writer’s block. I know, excuses, excuses. Once again, so sorry. I hope you enjoy this. In the next chapter, Taekwoon will interact with Hongbin and Wonsik will continue his “studies”. Stay tuned. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	4. A Bargain Offered

**Hello again. I can’t wait to write this. It is violent, so please keep that in mind. Please enjoy. Here we go!**

Taekwoon kept his sharp eyes on the vampire as it started to walk down the block. He debated just leaving, but if a vampire wanted to talk to him, there was not a lot he could do about it. The human walked after him.

            The two walked in silence until they entered the public park.

            Hongbin looked at the pristine waters of the lake in the center and watched the sun glint off the surface. “Relax, hunter,” he called over his shoulder. “I won’t kill you now.” He sat down on a bench and waited for Taekwoon to follow suit. “I’m Hongbin, by the way. We haven’t met formally yet.”

            The hunter sat down slowly, leg muscles tense and ready to run. He tried to convince himself that there was no danger, but the air surrounding Hongbin told him otherwise. “What do you-”

            “Want?” the vampire interrupted. “Nothing much.” He watched the Mandarin duck waddle up to them, and he took out some crackers he had from yesterday. As he threw one to the duck, he turned back to Taekwoon. “What have you done with Hakyeon?” He kept the question blunt.

            “He’s still alive.”

            The vampire shook his head. “That doesn’t answer my question.” He threw a cracker again, closer to the bench this time. “What have you done with him?” His serene face was replaced with an angry one as his mind raced through all the terrible scenarios that could be happening to his friend. “I could hear your colleague; he spoke of experiments.” Hongbin had to suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. “Is it true? Are you torturing him?”

            Taekwoon watched the duck nip at the food while he thought of how to respond. Should he lie? There would be no reason to it. “Wonsik is trying to find an answer,” he finally said. “Hakyeon isn’t dead yet.”

            Hongbin scoffed. “And that’s supposed to be comforting?”

            Taekwoon blinked. “He’s safe.”

            “No!”

            The yell startled Taekwoon, and he whipped out his gun. It was like those movies that had you sitting at the edge of your seats; the hunter was on the edge of his, ready to fight back.

            Hongbin took a deep breath and continued to feed the duck. “This isn’t a hostage situation. There is nothing keeping your friend from killing mine.” There was a blur of motion, and Hongbin suddenly had the duck on his lap. He stroked it like a cat and kept feeding it. “You are trying to find something.” He was saying this to himself as he tried to sort out the evidence in his mind. “A weakness.”

            Taekwoon stiffened. “That’s not true.”

            “What else are hunters looking for?” Hongbin lifts his eyes to look at Taekwoon. “We are superior to you in almost every way. We’re faster, stronger, smarter…the list goes on. Now if you can gain an advantage somehow,” he licked his fangs, “then you guys won’t have to be afraid anymore.”

            “What do you want?” Taekwoon’s voice shook, but whether from fear or anger, he did not know.

            “A trade-off.” Hongbin noticed the other ducks gathered around the bits of food left on the ground. “I can give you information about us as a species if you give us Hakyeon. I think this is a win-win situation. What do you think?”

            Taekwoon opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by another voice.

            “I think it’s only fair.” Jaehwan walked up from behind Taekwoon, startling the hunter. “What do you think?” This time, he was addressing Taekwoon.

            Taekwoon had his gun aimed at the new vampire, breath struggling to remain constant. “Well?” he finally bit out.

            Jaehwan laughed. “Well? Where’s Hakyeon?”

            “He doesn’t have him,” Hongbin answered. “There will be no information until I see Hakyeon standing with you, ready to come home.”

            Jaehwan looked at the ducks as they quacked, and the next minute, he had one in his hands as well.

            Now the two vampires mimicked each other, ducks in hand and eyes trained on the lone human.

            Taekwoon felt extremely vulnerable in this situation. He was not extremely prolific with a gun, and there were two supernatural beings before him, ready to bite his neck and drain him of blood. “I have to talk to Wonsik and Sanghyuk about this.”

            “Sanghyuk?”

            As soon as Jaehwan said this, Taekwoon cursed himself for revealing the presence of another person.

            “There’s three of them?” Jaehwan sounded angry. His eyes flashed green, but only for a minute.

            Hongbin felt a low growl exit his throat. “Easy, Jaehwan,” he warned. “I’m done here,” he almost spat. “Think of my offer,” he said as he got up. “It’s the most peaceful thing I can think of. If you don’t pick it…” He brought his hand up to the bird’s neck and snapped it without hesitation.

            As if practiced, Jaehwan did the same with the duck in his hands.

            They dropped the bodies in front of Taekwoon and walked away to enjoy the beautiful day.

            Taekwoon stared at the birds in shock. He had to tell Wonsik about the offer, about the threat, about everything.

            Back in the bunker, Wonsik wove the leather into braids, lacing them with silver wire.

            “And this is for…?” Sanghyuk was sitting to the side, watching the hunter work.

            “Just in case he gets rowdy,” Wonsik answered. He eyed the vampire in the center of the cage. “It’s quite effective. I was able to kill a werewolf with one I made when I was fifteen.” Once he was done, he got up and gave it an experimental crack.

            Hakyeon flinched as the crack shattered the silence. His eyes were wide with fear as he shrunk away. His range of motion was shortened when Wonsik put his foot on the chain.

            “Are you scared?” the hunter asked. There was no jeer in his voice; it was a serious question.

            Hakyeon nodded.

            “Really?” Wonsik’s voice dripped with disbelief.

            Hakyeon bristled. “I still have emotions,” he hissed. “I can feel fear.”

            Wonsik brought out an aerosol can and a lighter, and he started making a makeshift blowtorch. “Now is the time we test for fire. Thank Sanghyuk for fireproofing your clothes.”

            Hakyeon wondered what those symbols drawn on the tags were. His thoughts were interrupted when a crack, accompanied with a burning sensation, streaked across his back.

            “I said thank him!” Wonsik roared, the whip snaking around him threateningly.

            “Thank you,” Hakyeon bit out as the burning subsided. He was more worried by the blowtorch than the whip, but that did little to comfort him. “Find out what you want, and leave,” he spat. He was answered by a spit of fire, the flames licking his clothes but not burning him.

            Wonsik let the flames stop, his eyes reflecting the reds and oranges. “You don’t run the show here.” He stepped closer so he was in range. “Now don’t scream too loud. I have a headache.” With that grim remark, he let the blowtorch belch fire again.

            Hakyeon could no longer see anything but hot orange and yellow. True to the human’s word, his clothes remained untouched, but his skin burned. It peeled and blackened, revealing the other layers as it went away. The vampire screamed, as that was the only thing he could do.

            “Oh now this is fun!” Wonsik yelled over the roar of flames and screams. “Weakness,” he yelled. “Write that down!”

            Sanghyuk avoided the flames as he went and grabbed the journal. “Fire,” he murmured as he wrote, “is a weakness.” He looked up at hunter and shouted over the flames, “didn’t we already know that?”

            Wonsik shook his head as the fire stopped. “Only fire burned from willow was supposed to hurt them. Now we know that’s not true.” He nodded to the shaking person on the ground.

            Hakyeon remained still as his skin started to heal, although it was extremely slow. His hair, having been burned off, grew back, but it was a silver color instead of the chocolate brown. He wished that Taekwoon would give him some blood to facilitate the process, but he knew that would not happen yet.

            “It’s taking longer than usual,” Sanghyuk noted. “Explain.”

            Hakyeon licked his healing lips. “The next time,” he rasped, “your entire body is set on fire, try healing it quickly.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “We can have a race.”

            The whip burned his sensitive skin again as Wonsik punished the vampire for his humorous comment.

            They were interrupted by Taekwoon opening the door.

            Taekwoon almost gagged when the smell of burnt flesh hit him. “What happened?” he demanded.

            Wonsik held up the aerosol can and smiled. “Found another weakness: Fire. It doesn’t have to be from willow.” He had a hard time stealing from the willow trees around Seoul. “Where have you been? It doesn’t take you an hour and a half to get milk.”

            Taekwoon eyed the prisoner before saying, “his friends talked to me. Hongbin gave me an offer.” He leaned in to whisper, though it was pointless, thanks to Hakyeon’s hearing. “I think it’s reasonable.”

            Upon hearing Hongbin’s name, Hakyeon lifted himself to his knees. It had been ages since he last saw his tiny coven, and it only made him miss them more.

            “Get this one some blood,” Wonsik ordered as he nodded to Hakyeon. “Then we can discuss.” He pushed the cart to the corner near the cage door and left, followed by Sanghyuk.

            Taekwoon went with them and warmed up the blood before heading back in the holding room. He was alone now, the only one else being Hakyeon.

            “How are they?” Hakyeon asked as the hunter approached. “Did you hurt them?”

            “No.” Taekwoon sat down, eyes darting across the floor to survey the scorch marks. “Wonsik burned you?”

            Hakyeon took the bowl and started drinking, flinching as clots slithered down his throat. “Why do you sound so surprised? Your friend’s a monster.” His voice was still hoarse from screaming.

            “I was surprised your friends are looking for you,” Taekwoon shot back. “I thought vampires were solitary creatures.” He remembered his father telling him that, and his father was a seasoned hunter. Taekwoon never questioned the information given to him. He grew up knowing how dangerous vampires were. To him, they were loathsome creatures who slunk in the shadows, waiting to slaughter the nearest victim.

            Hakyeon laughed softly. “You believe that?” He took another sip. “Even we get lonely sometimes. I was by myself for almost ninety years until I met Hongbin. He was just like me, so we simply traveled together.”

            Taekwoon took out a journal he was keeping about his own discoveries, be it vampires, spells, or sigils; if it was interesting, he took note of it. “And Jaehwan? He seemed younger than you two.”

            Hakyeon nodded, smiling when he remembered the fledgling’s bubbly attitude. “Jaewhan was a vampire I sired. We found him one night in the rain. The boy was bleeding out from a car accident. This was around 1904.”

            Taekwoon almost scoffed at the year. He wondered what it felt like to be stuck in the aging process while everything else around you evolved and moved on.

            “I sired him,” Hakyeon continued, “and the rest is history.” He glanced at Taekwoon, hearing the pen go back and forth on the page. “Why are you writing this down.”

            Taekwoon stopped, worried he had offended the creature. “I…I just thought it was interesting.”

            “Huh. You know, people rarely get to know vampires. It’s usually a shoot on sight kind of thing.” Hakyeon licked the bowl clean, feeling better than before.

            “Why is your hair still silver?” Taekwoon asked, frowning.

            Hakyeon ran his fingers through his hair. “That fire did a number on me. I need more than one bowl of blood if I want to be completely healed.” He looked at the hunter hopefully. “Do you think I could have another?”

            Nodding, Taekwoon got up and headed for the refrigerator. He got another pack and then brought it back. He hoped Wonsik would not notice. “Here,” he said.

            Hakyeon started drinking again, the slurps replacing the silence in the room. Sure enough, by the time he was finished with the second bowl, his hair was full and brown again. His purple eyes flashed as his fangs retracted. “Thank you, Taekwoon,” he said. “I mean it.”

            “I look forward to our next conversation,” Taekwoon replied. He slipped out of the cage to go join Wonsik and Sanghyuk in the kitchen. “Now,” he said as he put the bowl in the sink. “About that bargain.”

            Wonsik looked thoughtful, almost like he was studying Taekwoon himself. “We’re all ears.”

**So this chapter is a longer one, and I hope you all enjoy it. I am already thinking about the next one. Thank you all for reading again! Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	5. A Bargain Rejected

**Hello! I am back! Please forgive my absence. I was sick for some time, but that’s not a good excuse. Please enjoy the next chapter. Here we go!**

_Going to test how strong vampire bones are,_ Wonsik noted. He held the hammer in his hand and tested the weight. He didn’t look at Hakyeon, though he was sure the vampire was looking at him. “Are you ready, Sanghyuk?”

            The sigil drawer nodded.

            “We’ll test him without it first.” With that, Wonsik made his way to the vampire and grabbed his arm. With a great effort, Wonsik brought the hammer down and waited.

            Hakyeon could hear the head impact his body, but he didn’t scream; he didn’t feel any pain. “Did you forget something?” he said mockingly. “Perhaps a few spells to weaken me?”

            Wonsik smiled back. “I didn’t forget them,” he hissed.

            Sanghyuk sliced his palm and let some of the blood drop onto the wooden sigil. He had to look away as it erupted in bright red light. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. “Should remember how much blood to use.”

            It was inevitable, the sigils, and Hakyeon knew that. He knew his abilities would always be taken away for the sake of the experiment. All he did now was prepare himself for the next attack. When was the last time he was hit with a blunt instrument and felt it?

            Wonsik thanked Sanghyuk before he moved to the other arm. “Don’t scream too much.” Bringing the hammer up, he threw his entire weight into the swing, almost smiling when he heard a sickening crunch.

            Hakyeon threw his head back and screamed, horrible aching pain shooting up and down his arm. He tried to pull it away and cradle it, but the hunter was still latched on. His eyes flashed purple as he snarled in self-defense. “Let go!”

            Wonsik lifted his eyes slowly. He let go wordlessly and headed over to Sanghyuk. “How’re you holding up?”

            “Fine,” Sanghyuk responded. He looked to Hakyeon. “Should I…?” He tapped the wood with his knife. When Wonsik nodded, Sanghyuk cancelled the sigil with a woody scrape.

            Hakyeon’s body, free from its bonds, immediately started to repair itself.

            The vampire, ragged breathings stabilized, and he finally looked up to the hunters.

            Taekwoon opened the door gently. “Wonsik?”

            “What?”

            “I need to talk to you.” Taekwoon nodded to Sanghyuk. “You can listen too.” He watched Hakyeon shuffle onto his side, chains rattling. “I met his other friends…the other vampires that was there that night.”

            When he heard this, Hakyeon sat up again, eyes wide. “You didn’t hurt them?”

            Taekwoon shook his head calmly. “They’re fine.”

            Hakyeon let out a breath he had no idea he was holding. “What color was their hair? Were they healthy? Well-fed?”

            Again, Taekwoon nodded. “They’ve given me an offer.” He let that sink in before continuing. “I said I would have to discuss it with you.” He had turned his attention to Wonsik. “We should talk where he,” he nodded to Hakyeon, “can’t hear us.” The hunter followed the two others out, aware of Hakyeon’s desperate gaze following them as the cage locked behind them.

            “So,” Wonsik sighed, sitting down and kicking his feet up, “what has Dracula 3 and 4 told you?” He took a swig of beer before continuing. “What have they been putting into your mind?”

            Taekwoon sat to the side so he did not have Wonsik’s feet in his face. “Information for their friend. They’ll give us a way to kill them only if we let Hakyeon go back with them.”

            “No.”

            The abrupt response shocked Taekwoon. “But…you’ve been looking for an answer your entire life. Ever since your family was-”

            The feet came off the table as Wonsik straightened himself and leaned forward to Taekwoon. “Stop. We don’t talk about that. I’ve told you.” His eyes threw daggers at Taekwoon. “Yes. I have been looking for an answer, but I won’t get it by a vampire. If I find one, it’s because I found it myself.”

            “Don’t be ridiculous,” Sanghyuk hissed. “You have an opportunity; take it. We can end his suffering now!”

            Wonsik was silent as he ducked his eyes away. “There are more questions I can answer with him.”

            Taekwoon shook his head. “We agreed that Hakyeon would be released once we found a way. What happened?”

            Wonsik shot out of his seat and thrust his face into Taekwoon’s. “So let’s say we got a perfectly legitimate answer from Hongbin. Why shouldn’t we put Hakyeon out of his misery?! We eliminate one vampire and test the theory, then we can go after the other two. No more murders or finding bodies drained of blood!”

            Taekwoon’s cat-like eyes bore right back at Wonsik’s. “And what do you think we would do if they found out we didn’t hold our end of the bargain? Jaehwan and Hongbin will slaughter all three of us!” He rarely raised his voice, but now was a good time to. Taekwoon could not understand the reasoning racing through the other hunter’s mind. “There is no honor in stabbing others in the back.” As Wonsik began to pace, Taekwoon asked again. “What will we do when they come to kill us?”

            “Where have you been all these years?” Wonsik laughed. “Look.” He pointed to Sanghyuk. “We have our secret weapon. The person who can even the playing field.” He chuckled. “Hell, he can give us a huge advantage.” His voice softened, though it was not comforting. “We’re not doing it. They’ll have to figure out another way to save their friend.” He took out the homemade flamethrower and approached the room holding Hakyeon. “Start cooking up some blood. He’ll need it soon.”

            As the room lit up with flames, Taekwoon growled in frustration. Over the screams of Hakyeon, he told Sanghyuk he was heading out. It was nighttime now, and he had to find Hongbin.

            “Not this one,” Hongbin whispered to Jaehwan. “He’s not drunk enough.”

            Jaehwan let out a frustrated whine. “Why not? No one will see me.” His eyes glowed as he watched another man stumble out. The vampire smiled when the man fell down with a grunt. “This one,” he growled. In a blur of motion, he grabbed the drunk and was back in the alley by the bar before a human could blink.

            Hongbin watched over Jaehwan as the fledgling drank. Feeding time was a vulnerable time for a vampire, especially a younger one. As Jaehwan drank, Hongbin suddenly became aware of a man approaching.

            “Hongbin.”

            The vampire smiled. “Taekwoon,” he greeted. “How’d it go? When can we get our friend back?” The greeting was cold.

            “You…can’t…” Taekwoon kept his gaze level, but his voice was hard to manipulate. “Wonsik won’t go along with it.”

            Taekwoon glanced to see Jaehwan dropping the body before joining Hongbin. The hunter kept his gun at the ready, mercury tipped bullets ready to pierce the vampires’ hearts. “I tried to talk him into it, but I couldn’t. You’re not getting Hakyeon back.”

            Hongbin nodded. “What’s keeping me from killing you right here and now?”

            “Let’s just say that I’m the one who cares enough to keep Hakyeon alive and kicking.” Taekwoon knew he got the vampire when Hongbin’s smile faltered.

            Hongbin shook his head as he started to leave the alley. “We’ll just storm the place you’re holding him. And yes, we will find it.”

            Taekwoon was ready. “You won’t get far. Sanghyuk will weaken you while we finish you off.”

            Jaehwan scoffed. “The sigil drawer?” He made sure to bump into Taekwoon as he followed Hongbin away. “He was the one who trapped Hakyeon.” His voice was now concerned, as their leverage was just gone. “What are we going to do?”

            “Sanghyuk can’t spend all his time inside,” Hongbin answered smoothly. “When he leaves, we’ll have to pay him a visit and then we’ll have a very long chat.”

**Writer’s block is very hard to overcome. Once again, forgive me for the delay. Thank you for reading, and now I have plans for the next chapters. Please stay tuned. Thank you once again. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	6. A Turning Point

**Forgive the long pause I took. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Here we go!**

Sanghyuk paced around nervously as the fire kept blazing in the other room. He had a healing sigil ready to activate when Wonsik stepped out, but the drawer wasn’t sure there would be anything left to heal; he could no longer hear any screaming.

            Wonsik stepped out, fatigue evident in his body. His body radiated heat as he went to the fridge and poured a glass of water. After some silence, he met Sanghyuk’s gaze. “What?”

            Sanghyuk didn’t answer, and he made his way into the room. He almost reeled from the scent of burnt clothing and flesh, which compelled him to create a sigil that repaired clothes. He had created this sigil after the two hunters came back with shredded clothes; buying more would prove very expensive. He let some blood drop on the boards before leaving before Hakyeon could beg for some of the fluid. As he went back to the kitchen to bandage the cut, he gathered his keys. “I’m going out,” he announced.

            “You can’t leave,” Wonsik answered. He didn’t bother looking at his friend.

            “And why can’t I?” Sanghyuk sounded annoyed. “Am I a vampire that has to be imprisoned as well?”

            That got Wonsik’s attention. He turned to look at Sanghyuk and huffed. “Look, you are valuable to us as a friend and as an advantage.” He set the glass down and stood up. “Do I need to spell it out for you?” When he was met with silence, the hunter sighed. “You can weaken vampires, and we can kill them. If you die, then we have no chance at sticking it to them. You need to understand this.”

            “I’m not a child,” Sanghyuk snapped. “Please don’t talk to me like one.” He headed to the door. “I won’t be gone long, Wonsik. Don’t worry.” Before Wonsik could protest, Sanghyuk was already in his car and driving away.

            Jaehwan watched the car leave, and he smiled to himself. “How stupid can you be?” he muttered. He kept up with the car and stayed out of sight.

            As Taekwoon returned home, he immediately knew that Hakyeon needed blood. He passed Wonsik, who was passed out on the table, and grabbed some blood from the fridge. While that was heating, he headed into the cage to wake Hakyeon. He cautiously approached the vampire, worried that he would startle him, especially since the creature had his back to the hunter. “Hey,” he almost whispered. Reaching out, he moved in to nudge the body.

            Before the human could blink, Hakyeon whipped around and latched onto Taekwoon’s wrist. With all his strength, he pulled the hunter closer to him and elongated his fangs. He needed the blood that ran through Taekwoon’s blood, he just needed it.

            With a gasp of surprise, Taekwoon quickly grabbed the knife he kept strapped to his side and unsheathed it. He stabbed Hakyeon in the neck, grunting from the effort, but was shocked to see what little effect it had on him.

            The knife in his throat really did hurt, but Hakyeon was desperate. He could feel the blade being pulled out, and he knew that Taekwoon was going to try again. He should be fast. Hakyeon’s lips brushed the hunter’s neck, ready to bite, but he paused. “…no…” He let go.

            As soon as he was released, Taekwoon scrambled back, away from danger. He kept his knife up defensively as his eyes locked onto Hakyeon.

            The vampire looked back at him before lowering his head. “Please,” he whispered. “I need it.”

            Taekwoon’s stomach dropped when he realized what Hakyeon was referring to. “I have some in the microwave,” he replied. “I’ll go get it.”

            “No!” Hakyeon cried. “It’s not enough! Your friend has been experimenting way too much. I cannot keep up with the blood you are giving me. Please.” He crawled forward. “I won’t take that much,” he promised. “It’ll be quick.”

            Taekwoon was about to say no, but he hesitated.

            Hakyeon looked horrible, from the dark circles under his eyes to his metallic white hair. He looked weaker than before and far less intimidating.

            The hunter was conflicted. He knew it was wrong, and that he could be jeopardizing his relationship with Wonsik, but he didn’t want Hakyeon to suffer any more. He nodded gently. “All right.”

            Hakyeon perked up visibly. “Really?” He almost sounded like a child. “Taekwoon, thank you,” he said as Taekwoon got closer. The vampire pulled him along with no force this time. “I’ll be gentle,” he soothed. “I promise.” He settled Taekwoon and tilted the human’s head gently, exposing his jugular. “This might be too much,” he muttered to himself. He set his sights to where Taekwoon’s neck met his shoulder, right above the collar bone. “This will do.”

            Taekwoon gasped as he felt the fangs puncture his skin. It was like getting a shot, but for longer. He could feel the blood being sucked out, another weird experience that intrigued him. After a few more seconds, the bite area started to feel warm, and the dull ache became almost comfortable. “Hakyeon.” His voice was weak. “That’s enough…stop.” When the vampire didn’t listen, he placed the knife against his throat.

            Hakyeon took the warning and stopped with a groan. He did not want to waste this opportunity. If he could keep Taekwoon from fearing him and the feeding process, then Hakyeon would be able to survive anything Wonsik threw at him. “Thank you.” He watched as Taekwoon assessed the damage. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, concern laced through his words.

            Taekwoon did not know how to answer that. He remembered the pain at first, but then he remembered the pleasant sensation as the bite was dragged out. “I…I’m fine.”

            “You’re not tired or anything?”

            The hunter shook his head. “I did not expect it to feel that way.”

            Hakyeon nodded. “Get something to drink,” he ordered as he ran a finger over the bite mark.  His eyes met Taekwoon’s. “Why are you helping me?” he questioned.

            Taekwoon swallowed as the fingers brought the ache back every time they brushed past the puncture wounds. “Because that’s my job,” he responded, a little too        quickly. “Wonsik tests, Sanghyuk protects us, and I heal.”

            “Right,” Hakyeon sighed. It was obvious he didn’t believe the hunter. “Do you want me to tell you another story? It’s the least I can do after that drink.”

            Taekwoon nodded as he watched Hakyeon wipe some blood from the corner of his mouth. “I want to know how you found Hongbin and Jaehwan.” He decided to sharpen his knife as he listened.

            “Well,” Hakyeon started, “the easiest way to tell this is that Hongbin asked to join me, and we found Jaehwan dying, but I assume you want more than that.” He moved back so the chain was not taut anymore; it was more comfortable that way. “Hongbin was my friend from when I was human. We lived in the same village. I was out hunting when I was turned, attacked by a fledgling.”

            Taekwoon quieted his sharpening, realizing that he could gain information through the story. “Why was that a problem? I thought fledglings could not change humans.”

            “Another myth,” Hakyeon replied. “If they’re careful, that is the case. However, some aren’t, and they release their venom without realizing it. Anyway, when the horde attacked the village, I found my family dead and drained of blood. I immediately ran to find Hongbin, and when I did, we escaped.”

            Taekwoon had to remember to warn Wonsik of that. They weren’t as careful around fledglings as they were full grown vampires because of that myth.

            Hakyeon continued. “We ran, but I was afraid of hurting Hongbin when my urges came. He wanted to change though.” He fell silent for a moment. “I didn’t want to at first. Why should he be cursed to eternal life? When I eventually submitted, the process was long and hard. I had to constantly fight to keep him satisfied. We killed so much, we had to move constantly.”

            Takewoon straightened. “I read about that,” he said. “I remember; it was called the Year of Happy Graveyards because of the number of bodies.” He frowned. “I thought there were more vampires.”

            “Nope. Just two fledglings without teaching,” Hakyeon replied. “We had no teacher as the one who sired me died in the village. He didn’t account for the hunters living there.” He was about to continue when footsteps stopped him.

            Wonsik was leaning in the door frame, clearly not amused by what he saw. “Are we breaking the ice now?” His eyes flicked from Hakyeon to Taekwoon. “Did you touch him?”

            Hakyeon shook his head, body tensing up in response of the threatening presence.

            Taekwoon adjusted his shirt so the wound was hidden. “I was just learning something about them,” he called over his shoulder. As he got up, he said, “did you know fledglings can turn humans too?”

            Wonsik didn’t look shocked, but everyone knew he was on the inside. “Really?”

            Taekwoon nodded. “The more you know.” He brushed past his fellow hunter.

            “How much blood did you give him?” Wonsik asked as he closed the door. “His hair is brown again, and I really did a number on him.”

            Taekwoon stood still for a moment. “He drank two bowls. Calm down.”

            Wonsik did not pursue the subject any further.

            Sanghyuk loved the night air. Because of his, what Wonsik called, value, he was rarely allowed to go out on walks unless he was getting supplies. The sigil drawer hadn’t been outside a lot when he was learning his craft, and he was kept in by Wonsik, so feeling the air in his hair was a luxury.

            Behind the man, Jaehwan followed, silent as a mouse. He wanted to see if Sanghyuk would split from the crowd of couples and tourists that frequented Seoul’s streets. It would take a while, but Jaehwan was patient, a skill he learned from Hakyeon. “Should be soon,” he murmured to no one.

            Forty minutes later, and Sanghyuk was heading to his car in the parking lot.

            For Jaehwan, it was now or never. He ran to the drawer in a blur and nearly threw him into his car. “Good on you for picking out an empty lot,” he laughed.

            From across the street, Hongbin heard the commotion and knew it was time for his talk. Setting down the newspaper, he paid the waitress for the coffee and made his way over. “Let’s hope Jaehwan isn’t feeding off him,” he sighed. The vampire took his time crossing the road; there was no hurry, and the Sanghyuk wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. By the time Hongbin got to the scene, he could smell blood.

            Sanghyuk groaned as he tried to pick himself off the ground. He could feel his muscles protesting his attempts as he fell back down again. This was not the way he imagined going out; he imagined an epic showdown between humans and vampires, and an explosion sigil made by his own hand. He tried to reach for his sigils in his back pack, but that was quickly kicked aside.

            “Oh,” Jaewhan gasped innocently, “almost forgot that.” He looked up when he felt Hongbin closing in. “He’s ready to talk,” he called.

            Hongbin smiled an ice-cold smile. “Good.” He squatted down to be eye level with the human before talking. “So you’re the little shit that trapped Hakyeon.” His smile did not falter. “Well, I don’t know how it is for you and your friends, but if my friend was hurt, I would like to bite back.”

            “And this is your way,” Sanghyuk spat.

            “In a way,” replied the vampire. “But I don’t know if I’m done yet.”

            “What do you mean?”

            Hongbin feigned a surprised look. “What do you mean ‘what do I mean’?” Chuckling, he brought his gaze up to Jaehwan.

            Obeying the unspoken command, Jaehwan kicked Sanghyuk in the ribs, causing the human to crash onto his side.

            Hongbin continued. “Is this beating enough to put you out of action, or should I try a little harder.” His smile was gone at this point as it gave way to a more serious and predatory glare. “Should I put you out for good?”

            How could Sanghyuk answer that? He had no idea if his input on the matter would affect the outcome of the situation. “Why are you even asking me?”

            “It’s called manners,” Hongbin replied. With an annoyed snarl, he picked Sanghyuk up and threw him into the car again. “Learn some.”

            Jaehwan smiled maliciously as he watched their victim gasp with pain. “Can I drain him?” he asked Hongbin. He looked to the blood drops on the ground. “Please?”

            Hongbin shook his head. “If we decide to kill him, then you can.” He looked to Sanghyuk. “Now what should we do with you.”

            Sanghyuk mustered up what strength he had left to growl, “weren’t you going to kill me?” He didn’t want an answer.

            “This was just a chat,” Hongbin said. “Imagine what it’ll be like when we finally come to end you. Death is too easy.”

            Sanghyuk didn’t like the darkness in his voice.

            “I know. I’ll destroy what you need the most.” Hongbin walked to Jaehwan’s side. “Hold him down,” he ordered. “Keep his hands above his head.”

            “What are you going to do?” the fledgling asked.

            “You’ll see.”

            Jaehwan moved to position Sanghyuk. “Relax,” he laughed. “Hongbin’s usually nice.”

            “Now how shall we do this,” Hongbin pondered as he let his fingers brush over Sanghyuk’s hands. “Crushing? Severing tendons? Or just plain amputation.”

            Sanghyuk realized what was going to happen, and he fought back desperately. He was no match against Jaehwan as his sigils were lying dormant in his back pack. Despite the panic in his heart, he refused to beg.

            The vampire finally made a decision. “You’ll still have your hands,” he mused, “but you won’t be able to use them. I think that’s fair enough.” He got up and lifted his foot. “This is what happens when you refuse our offer.” With all the speed and power of a vampire, he stomped on both hands. “Let’s see you draw your little tricks now!” he shouted over Sanghyuk’s screams.

            Sanghyuk’s eyes were screwed shut as he cried, terrible pain shooting from his hands down to his arms. In his mind, he cursed Hongbin and Jaehwan. He cursed the entire vampire race. As his crying simmered down to whimpers and sobs, he heard and felt Hongbin lean in as if to kiss him.

            “I’m glad we could talk,” the vampire whispered right up into Sanghyuk’s ear.

            When Sanghyuk opened his eyes, he was alone in the lot, save for one woman dialing for an ambulance.

**I hope you all enjoyed this! This one was fun to write. Thank you so much for sticking through all my writers’ blocks. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	7. A Weakened State

**I am back, everyone! Happy holidays! I am sorry for the delay once again, but I hope this makes up for it once again. Here we go.**

Sanghyuk’s world swirled before him as he cracked his eyes open. He could hear beeping monitors, and the ceiling above him was white. He felt panic flood his brain, and he moved to sit up. His body screamed in protest, especially his hands, and the sigil drawer stopped squirming with a scream.

            A nurse ran in, her eyes wide with worry. “Please, sir,” she urged. “You must keep from moving your hands.”

            “What happened?” Sanghyuk rapsed. “What happened?” He looked to his hands and almost screamed when he saw the casts around them. His stomach sank like a stone. He was worthless now; he couldn’t draw sigils anymore, couldn’t help his friends. Speaking of his friends. “Where are they?”

            The nurse was busy checking the monitors. “Who?”

            “My friends…why aren’t they here?” The morphine kept Sanghyuk from thinking clearly and forming more coherent sentences.

            Leaning forward, the nurse stroked his arm to comfort him. “Who are your friends, sir? I’ll call them for you.”

            “Why weren’t they called?”

            “We couldn’t find any connections to call,” the nurse explained as she headed out.

            Sanghyuk sighed as the silence settled again. The aching in his hands returned as the brain found something to focus on. The drawer groaned and wished he could just die. Sleep would help. Sanghyuk loved to sleep; it took the pain of life away. That’s what Sanghyuk did to escape; he slept.

            Wonsik kept looking through the window to Hakyeon, still wondering how the vampire looked that good. He knew blood had certain healing effects on vampires, but Hakyeon was at death’s door when the last experiment ended. The only thing that ripped his gaze away was the phone ringing.

            Taekwoon sat on the floor smiling as Hakyeon told him another story. “Wait,” he chuckled. “If a human becomes a vampire, does their intelligence revert back to a child’s?”

Hakyeon laughed. “Don’t be mean. Jaehwan wanted a balloon.”

            “So, you stole one from the zoo?”

            The vampire nodded. His smile faltered slightly. “That wasn’t the last time I stole for those two.” He remembered stealing clothes and blankets, but that wasn’t it. “We stole houses.”

            Taekwoon felt his smile fall. Part of him didn’t want to know what that meant. “What do you mean?” His curiosity got the better of him.

            Playing with the chains around him, Hakyeon ducked his head. “Well…” He didn’t want to ruin what he felt was a growing relationship. “I shouldn’t tell you.”

            The hunter was getting out his journal to write down information. “I can withhold my blood from you,” he reminded.

            Hakyeon fell still; he knew Taekwoon really held the power here and that he was still a prisoner. “We’re not animals,” he said. “We don’t like living out in the wilds, so we look for houses when we move. If we can’t find abandoned structures, we move on to inhabited ones.”

            Taekwoon realized that this was how vampires selected their dens. He jotted down the notes quickly.

            “We go in and…clear out…the house before moving in.” Hakyeon remembered the screams of unsuspecting families. It was not something he was proud of, but it was something he did to keep his coven alive. “I can feel you judging me,” he laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood. Looking up, he saw Taekwoon’s eyes spark with suspicion.

            To be fair, Taekwoon was confused. He felt confused, not suspicion. He felt genuine friendship for Hakyeon, having heard his stories and adventures, but there was the constant reminder that the person before him had killed many people before.

            “What would you do?”

            The question brought Taekwoon out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry?”

            The chain leash chimed as Hakyeon moved closer. “What would you do if you had two people to take care of, no shelter, and the only way you could get it was by killing?”

            Taekwoon found it hard to keep his eyes on Hakyeon piercing ones, especially when the flashed purple. “I don’t know,” he answered.

            “Be honest with me,” Hakyeon replied, voice gentle. He searched Taekwoon’s eyes for answers. “Friends are honest with friends, right?”

            Nodding, Taekwoon pushed Hakyeon away gently. “I would kill to keep my friends protected.” If he was being perfectly honest, he would kill a family and take over the house.

            “Humans are capable of horrible things,” Hakyeon pointed out. “I mean, look at you guys.” He motioned to the door and to the sigils on the floor. “We’re not that different after all. We are both capable of doing horrible things for the people we love.”

            Taekwoon’s mind raced as he tried to find a way to debunk that theory. However, he could not as he just thought of all the vampires he and Wonsik killed and experimented on. He smelled the burned flesh and heard the screams all over again. He was sure Hakyeon heard screams too.

            Wonsik threw open the door, seething with rage. “Get back!” he spat at Taekwoon. “You fucker,” he hissed.

            Hakyeon kept his gaze steady as he scooched back. Standing up, he met Wonsik face to face, daring the hunter to attack her. “How can I help you?” His voice oozed with fake concern and rage.

            “Your friends beat up on my friend.” Wonsik didn’t care how childish he sounded. He felt Taekwoon walk to his side.

            “What do you mean, Wonsik?” Taekwoon asked, eyes flicking between the two other men. “Is it Sanghyuk? What happened? Is he okay?”

            “No, he’s not,” Wonsik growled. “You have Jaehwan and Hongbin to thank for that.” His gaze never left Hakyeon’s. Without another word, he dragged his silver blade across the vampire’s face.

            Hakyeon’s scream alone startled Taekwoon.

            Wonsik wasn’t done yet. With a vicious snarl, he kicked Hakyeon’s side two or three times.

            Taekwoon, with all his might, pulled Wonsik away. “Stop it!” he roared. “What happened to Sanghyuk that’s gotten you all worked up?” He waited for Wonsik to answer. “Well if you’re going to beat him, at least tell me why.”

            “Sanghyuk’s hands were broken. He was assaulted by the other leeches.” Wonsik’s voice was rough with rage. “By his friends.” That’s when he turned to Taekwoon as if to ask him if he could continue the beating. Well, he didn’t need permission. Taking another swing at the vampire, he found his attack thwarted by Taekwoon pulling him away again.

            “Wonsik, stop it!” Taekwoon put himself between the hunter and the vampire. “Let’s go see Sanghyuk now,” he suggested. “He needs us more than ever.”

            Wonsik glared at the two. “Sure,” he spat. “Good job protecting your new friend.” With that, he left to get ready.

            Taekwoon knelt by Hakyeon. “Are you okay?” he asked. Looking at the blood, he offered his wrist to Hakyeon. “Quickly,” he whispered, “before he comes back.”

            Hakyeon shook his head. “Go. Don’t bring more attention to yourself.”

            Nodding, Taekwoon hurried out of the room, looking over his shoulder to make sure he locked the cell door. After that, it was off to the hospital.

            As he was plunged into silence, Hakyeon smiled softly. He had fun confiding in Taekwoon and telling him his stories. There was something else about the hunter; he wasn’t all violence and death. He felt his ribs mend themselves slowly but surely. The gash on his face knitted together until there was nothing left. The vampire looked to the sigils inhibiting his self-healing, and smiled.

            The sigils gave off a faint, black glow, a quiet crackling sound emanated from them; they were dying.

            When Wonsik and Taekwoon ran in his room, Sanghyuk turned to look out the window, unable to meet them in the eyes. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

            “What for?” Wonsik moved to the right of the bed. “Why are you sorry?”

            “Should’ve listened to you.” The sigil drawer whispered. “I’m useless now.”

            Taekwoon shook his head. “There is no way you’re useless period. You are never use-”

            “Look at me!” Sanghyuk yelled, waving his arms around until they hurt. “I can’t make sigils anymore, and that was the only thing I could do for you.” He looked at his friends. “You guys can fight while I can only draw. That was the only thing going for me and now I…” He drifted off as a particularly troubling thought wormed into his mind. “How long?”

            The two hunters, who were surprised, looked confused.

            Sighing, Sanghyuk elaborated. “How long since the sigils were recharged?” When he still could, he would go and redraw the sigils to imbue them with the energy needed to keep Hakyeon prisoner. Without him, they would wear off. “How long?” he insisted.

            Taekwoon couldn’t remember the last time he saw the sigils recharged, and neither could Wonsik.

            Sanghyuk shook his head. “Then we’re in trouble,” he groaned. He could not, for the life of him, remember himself, and that only caused him to worry more. “They’re dying,” he whispered. “They’re dying,” he repeated, raising his voice to the others. “The vampire…he can escape.”

**So this chapter was a little short, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please keep in tune for more, since this also got my creative side working again. Thank you so much for sticking with me. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	8. A Troubling Escape

**Another chapter is up! My brain just came up with another idea, so I hope it works. Here we go!**

The stone walls echoed the frustrated groans and the clanging chains as Hakyeon struggled to free himself. He had waited for almost an hour for the other sigils to start degrading, and he could feel his strength flow back into him as the weakening sigil died out. To the vampire’s annoyance, Sanghyuk had made that one last, so it was still putting up a fight as it tried to contain the beast. He strained against the silver and iron chains and ignored the burning he felt around his wrists; he just wanted to be free.

            At the hospital, Wonsik sat back in the chair by the window. “So…you’re telling me that Hakyeon could escape?”

            Sanghyuk nodded, avoiding his friend’s eyes.

            “We need to go.” With that, Wonsik got up and went to grab his sweatshirt. “Taekwoon, let’s move.” He was stopped by Taekwoon’s hand on his chest.

            “Calm down,” the hunter said. “Sanghyuk needs us right now. Hakyeon can wait.” He turned to look at his injured friend before turning back to Wonsik. “His sigils are strong, and he recharged them often. There’s nothing to worry about.”

            Wonsik looked from the door to Sanghyuk like he wanted to leave. “Are you sure?” He knew he had to be there, but he would be damned if the vampire escaped. “Please,” he said to Sanghyuk, “tell me Hakyeon is secure.”

            “I…cannot say,” Sanghyuk replied. “I can’t remember the last time recharging the sigils, but the last time I saw Hakyeon, he was on fire. I assume he’s weakened.” There was no way for him to tell. Not from there.

            “Will you be alright?” Taekwoon asked.

            “Yes,” Sanghyuk said. In reality, he was terrified that Hongbin and Jaehwan would come back to finish him off. “Go. It’s okay.”

            Taekwoon didn’t like how quickly Wonsik left, but he made no comment when they were driving home. The only time he talked to Wonsik was to remind him what the speed limit was.

            Hakyeon growled in pain as he pulled with all his might, but that pain quickly morphed into relief when a chain finally snapped. His right arm was free, and that made it easier for him to free his left hand. His power had almost returned to normal, so that was not a hard thing to do. Now free, he smiled to himself and bent the bars of the cage, the sound of sizzling flesh hitting his ear. _No matter,_ he thought. _I’ll get to see Hongbin and Jaehwan again._ Opening the door that lead to the kitchen, he froze when he saw the door open.

            The hunters and the vampire spent some time staring at each other; everyone was in a state of shock. Who would move first? Who would kill first?

            Wonsik’s hand flew to his handgun, but, of course, Hakyeon was faster.

            In a blur of motion, the vampire streaked across the room and grabbed Wonsik by the neck, hoisting him off the ground. “Where are your sigils now?” he almost spat. He effortlessly threw the hunter into the wall, and smiled when he heard Wonsik cry out in pain. Then Hakyeon turned to Taekwoon.

            Taekwoon was holding his gun, which was aimed steadily at Hakyeon.

            Hakyeon sighed. “You know I can move faster than you can pull that trigger?” He blinked. “It’s hopeless.” When Taekwoon didn’t lower the gun, Hakyeon looked impressed. “You never know when to give up. Please, Taekwoon. Step out of the way. I don’t want to hurt you.” He tilted his head to Wonsik. “He, on the other hand, is a different story.”

            Taekwoon couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. “The only way your leaving this place is if you kill me.”

            “Your eyes tell me another story,” Hakyeon replied. “There’s no conviction.”

            Behind the vampire, Wonsik struggled to his knees, a look of rage twisting his face. As quietly as he could, he unsheathed his silver dagger.

            Smiling, Hakyeon turned to Wonsik. “Give it your best shot,” he teased. “Your sigils don’t work anymore.”

            With a roar, Wonsik rocketed forward and plunged the blade into Hakyeon’s chest, trying to reach the dead heart inside. It felt like he was stabbing lead, and soon the knife stopped just inches away. The hunter stepped black slowly, breathe seething as he realized his attack failed.

            That was it. Taekwoon pulled the trigger, hoping the silver bullet would finish the job.

            However, Hakyeon was already on the move, and the bullet imbedded itself in his shoulder. The vampire punched Wonsik in the face then threw him into the ground. As pieces of floor tile flew up from the force of the attack, he gripped his shoulder in pain. “Well that was unexpected,” he mumbled.

            “Hakyeon. What happened?” Taekwoon kept the gun level.

            “Corner an animal long enough, and it’s bound to fight back.”

            “But you’re not a monster,” Taekwoon shot back. “All those stories of traveling the world and learning meant nothing then.”

            Hakyeon looked offended. “We all do what we can to survive. Do not judge me for living.” The soft and comforting voice was gone now, replaced with one full of adrenaline and conviction. Hakyeon grit his teeth as he pushed his finger and thumb into the bullet wound, groaning as he started pulling the bullet out.

            Taekwoon was still, disgusted by the scene in front of him. He saw that Wonsik was not moving, but he could not see if he was okay until Hakyeon left.

            “Much better.”

            Taekwoon almost flinched when Hakyeon showed him the bloody bullet.

            Dropping it, Hakyeon ran forward at full speed, a mere blur to Taekwoon, and hugged him from behind. Not a second past before he grabbed some ebony hair and wrenched Taekwoon’s head to the side, exposing the nice veins on his neck. “A quick snack to keep me going,” he said, soft voice back again. His fangs plunged into Taekwoon’s vein and drank up the blood he loved so much. The wound on his shoulder and burns from the silver healed themselves almost instantaneously.

            For Taekwoon, he felt his blood leave his body, which was strange in of itself. His knees buckled as he tried to fight the blood-sucker off. As he lost blood, he found himself growing weaker, and the thought of Hakyeon draining him dry dawned on him. He brought the gun down and fired into Hakyeon’s thigh, dropping to the ground as Hakyeon threw him to the side, howling in pain. When Taekwoon lifted his head to Hakyeon, he grew even more scared.

            The vampire’s eyes seared purple, and he snarled like an animal. However, he didn’t attack Taekwoon again. “Take care of your friend,” he almost whispered. “I’ll see you again.” With a woosh of air, he was gone.

            Taekwoon was still for a moment as he processed what just happened. Then, on shaky limbs, he crawled over to Wonsik. The sound of tile scraping the ground was a reminder of how powerful vampires were. “Wonsik,” Taekwoon gasped, “are you okay?” What was he doing? He knew Wonsik was unconscious; the gentle rise and fall of the hunter’s chest was a giveaway. Taekwoon hoisted his friend up, ignoring the aching pain he felt in his neck and his lightheadedness. Throwing Wonsik onto the bed, Taekwoon shuffled to his own room, tired and beat, and threw himself down on his bed. Sweet sleep took him before he could make plans for the future.

            Hakyeon ran as quickly as he could to his coven’s home. They would, no doubt, be thrilled to see him again.

**So I thought that would be a good place to end this chapter. I still have plans for Taekwoon and Hakyeon, so please stay tuned. Thank you, all, for sticking with me. I know I say it a lot, but it really means a lot to me. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	9. A Terrifying Tale

**Here we are with another chapter. This one is more dialogue than action, but I believe it will pay off. Please. Enjoy. Here we go!**

Three weeks later, and Taekwoon still felt like he was being watched. He and Wonsik could not hole up in their bunker forever, and whenever he went out, he felt like Hakyeon was watching him. Every time he rounded a corner, he expected to run right into the vampire. The hunter kept his gun and silver knife on him all the time.

            Wonsik had ordered it.

            Sanghyuk was discharged from the hospital at the end of the second week with shaky, damaged hands. He could barely pick things up, never mind drawing sigils.

            “What if I draw them?” Wonsik had asked.

            “It wouldn’t matter,” Sanghyuk replied. “The sigils respond to the drawer’s energy. Your sigils have as much effect as throwing garlic at the blood suckers.”

            That did not bode well for the hunters. If the vampires wanted to seek vengeance, there was very little the humans could do.

            Taekwoon wanted to sleep. There was nothing like it. He could just slip into his dreams, away from pain and fear, and relax. The hunter threw himself into bed, exhausted from the day’s events. He had gotten groceries, kept constant vigilance, and took care of Sanghyuk, all the while watching his back.

            Wonsik had gone off to Busan in order to seek another sigil drawer and invite him or her along for the hunt. His strategy was to attack before the vampires had a chance to, a simple “get the drop on them”, if you will. He had the information needed for wiping out a coven; he just had to even the playing field.

            Unfortunately for him, sigil drawers were in high demand. The day ended fruitlessly, and the hunter decided to stay the night and try again in the morning.

            Without his partner, Taekwoon felt uneasy and vulnerable. He made sure Sanghyuk was okay before heading off to his own room. Closing the door, he got into bed slowly, scanning around for any signs of another person. If it seemed a bit paranoid, he did not care; Wonsik was the real fighter of the trio, not Taekwoon. Closing his eyes, Taekwoon started to drift off to sleep. His body settled, but his mind raced. He could see two versions of Hakyeon, one beaten but kind and the other vicious and wild.

            The two versions each whispered different things, bringing on a gentle cacophony to Taekwoon. They whispered threats and stories, warnings and tales, and they were only getting louder and louder.

            The chains rattled as the kind Hakyeon stepped forward. “I love you,” he whispered. “I still have so much to tell you.”

            The purple eyes glowed as Vicious Hakyeon stepped forward more aggressively. “I can’t wait to rip your jugular out. I can’t wait to pierce that pearly white skin your friend has. The blood would complement his color so well.”

            Taekwoon looked to the both of them, scared and confused. “What do mean?” he asked Vicious Hakyeon.

            “What, did you really think I was just going to leave and not come back?” Hakyeon laughed. “He heard my screams; I think it’s only fair that I hear his.” He tilted his head to the side, feigning sympathy. “Awww. Is little Taekwoon so naïve? In your line of work, I would’ve thought you were used to this by now.”

            “Used to what?” Taekwoon spat. “Death? Revenge? A cycle that never ends? Who could ever get used to that?”

            “Don’t listen to him,” Kind Hakyeon soothed. “Please, Taekwoon. I don’t want you to listen to him. He’s not me.”

            “Oh please.” Vicious Hakyeon’s eyes flashed. “We’re two sides of the same coin, Sweetie,” he crooned to his other self. “I _am_ you, just like you are me.” Turning to Taekwoon, he slid in closer, eyeing the hunter’s neck. “Hey. How about another drink?” When Taekwoon shook his head, the vampire just laughed. “Oh, come now. I’ll tell you another story,” he drawled.

            Defensively, Kind Hakyeon hissed, eyes flaring and fangs dropping down.

            But Vicious Hakyeon only smiled. “You know,” he laughed, “you look more like me now. Are you sure you’re any different?”

            Reigning in his anger, Kind Hakyeon looked at Taekwoon. “There’s so much I want to tell you,” he said softly. “You’re a great listener, and I want to talk you more.”

            Keeping his eyes on the darker version, Taekwoon addressed Hakyeon. “How do I know you’re not lying? How can I trust you anymore?” He knew how dangerous Hakyeon could be, but he saw a different person being beaten and tortured. He saw Hakyeon as human, not vampire, and he remembered the kindness and sincerity in his words as he told of his adventures. “I want to believe you but…” He motioned to Vicious Hakyeon.

            The evil Hakyeon smirked. “Do you think I have to stand and take this? Don’t you realize you’re talking to the same damn thing? The same damn monster?” Roaring, he rocketed to the hunter, fangs ready to break skin and bone. He was biting to kill, not feed.

            Taekwoon knew a vampire could bite hard enough to break bone, and Hakyeon could snap his neck with ease using only his jaw strength. The hunter did the only thing he could do; he pulled out his gun and shot.

            Hakyeon avoided the bullet with ease, causing Taekwoon to lose all hope for his survival. “This,” the vampire screamed, “is who I am!”

            Snapping upright in his bed, Taekwoon cried out, panting as he looked left and right. He was covered in a cold sweat, and his mind buzzed as he tried to remember where he was. Looking at the clock, he flopped back down. It was 2 in the morning, way too early to do anything. A creak from the window made Taekwoon sit up again, gun at the ready. All he could see in the window was a human figure.

            “Hello,” it said, voice eerily familiar.

            Taekwoon almost lowered his gun. “H-Hakyeon?”

            “Try again.”

            The hunter’s stomach dropped. “Hongbin.”

            “Very good.” The vampire was leaning against the window like he was welcomed there. “How’s your little drawer holding up?” There was no care in his voice at all.

            Taekwoon turned on the lamp by his bed, gun still trained on the threat. “Why do you want to know?” He paused. “If you even think about going near him, I’ll put one right through your twisted mind.” Even he was surprised by the strength of his own voice. “Leave now while you can.”

            Hongbin was silent. His eyes flicked from the gun to Taekwoon, more interest than fear present in those black pupils. “You think I’m twisted.” He stood up to his full height, cold eyes never leaving Taekwoon’s. “Go on then. Shoot.” After a pregnant pause, he scoffed. “I knew you wouldn’t. Don’t worry your pretty little head.” In a bold move, he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward until the barrel of the gun dug into his forehead. “Can you do it now?”

            Taekwoon was shaking at this point, a scowl planted firmly on his face.

            “Of course you can’t,” Hongbin answered. “If you couldn’t when I was over there, how could you now?” Straightening, he nodded to the gun. “You might as well put that down. I wouldn’t want your arm to get tired.” He smiled. “I have a story to tell you.”

            Hesitantly, Taekwoon lowered the gun. He never let go of it, instead holding it by his side. “What?” he spat.

            “Hakyeon probably never told you about the hunting party that came after us. There were thirty hunters, all coming to kill the three of us,” Hongbin began. “The year was…ooohhh…2006. They had guns and knives, and they had at least five sigil drawers. They thought they were killing us for sure. We were meditating, the closest vampires get to sleep, when they burst through our door.” The smile fell. “The bullets started flying, and Hakyeon and I dodged each and every one of them. Jaehwan was a younger vampire at the time. He didn’t understand what was happening. The sigil drawers all activated their sigils.”

            Taekwoon could almost hear the banging of guns firing and wooden sigils hitting the ground as Hongbin spoke.

            “I turned to Jaehwan and screamed at him to run. We all had to. Sigils have a certain range; once you’re out of the range, they don’t affect you. I held them off as Jaehwan ran.” Hongbin’s voice was getting rough, and Taekwoon wondered if the vampire was getting emotional. “Hakyeon ran as well, and I did after that. We all headed into the woods, terrified. Jaehwan wanted to know what we had done to deserve this. I told him existing was enough. The hunters all followed us, eager to complete this easy kill. As soon as I felt the sigil’s influence wear off, I doubled back. They never saw it coming.” With a laugh, he continued. “I tore off limbs and shot off heads with their own guns. I could see Hakyeon slashing through necks with silver knives, almost decapitating some poor hunters.”

            As the story escalated, Taekwoon flinched from the vivid images forming in his mind. All he saw was blood raining down on the land, feeding the grass and plant. He could hear screams of terror, anger, and pain and smell death everywhere.

            “By the time we were done,” Hongbin’s voice cut through the hunter’s thoughts, “there was one last hunter. He wasn’t even wounded, just scared out of his mind. I remember this very well. I was walking toward him, letting the carnage around him process in his mind. He whimpered, and I laughed. Then,” Hongbin chuckled, “he looked me in the eye, put the gun against his temple, and pulled the trigger.” He sighed. “What a sore loser.”

            “Why are you telling me this?” Taekwoon’s voice was weak. He knew why, he just had to hear it in Hongbin’s own words.

            Leaning closer to Taekwoon, the vampire, eyes glowed green. “If thirty hunters failed to eliminate us, how well do you think three,” he looked to Taekwoon’s door, “two and a half, hunters will fare?” He did not wait for an answer. Instead, he got up, headed to the window and jumped out, not without smiling a gentle smile at Taekwoon. He made his message perfectly clear.

_Do not fuck with us._

**So this was fun to write. I hope you all enjoyed this, and thank you for sticking with me through this story. I hope to get another one up soon. Bye, from ThePoisonPen!**


	10. A Tricky Game

**I am back! I don’t have a lot to say at the start, so let’s just dive right in! Here we go!**

_You think you’re clever, Wonsik. You think you have everything planned out, and it will all go well._ Hongbin smiled to himself, sitting on the fire escape and looking through the window. _I find it amusing how you failed to account for me._

Wonsik felt the butterflies try and burst through his stomach as he ordered his coffee. He was supposed to meet the head of Busan’s hunting clan, and it was not going to be easy asking for help. The hunter had always found this difficult, from homework to hunting assistance, to ask for. He was a good hunter, no doubt, but everyone needs help sometime.

            “You Wonsik?”

            Wonsik looked up to see a tall young man looking down at him. He found it hard to look away from his light pink hair. Nodding, he stood up to shake the other’s hand. “Yes. You are the person I talked to over the phone, right?”

            The man nodded. “I’m Namjoon, by the way. I heard you needed help replacing a sigil drawer.” His face did not look promising, already skeptical.

            “That is correct. I heard that you had a pretty good one in your clan.” Wonsik took another sip of coffee. His heart was secretly pounding even though he seemed relaxed on the outside. He wanted to get back to his own clan; being away for even a day was making him anxious.

            “Hoseok is pretty good,” Namjoon thought out loud. “What would he be up against if he helped you guys? I need to look after my friends, after all.”

            Wonsik nodded. “Understandable,” he said. “Just three vampires, and that’s all. We have the means to kill them all, but the only thing we need is a drawer.” He lowered his gaze. “Ours can’t make them anymore. He was attacked.”

            Namjoon’s face barely changed. “I’m sorry for that.” It sounded sincere enough.

            “His hands can’t stop shaking, he suffered nerve damage, and Taekwoon and I can’t do it.”

            The other hunter ruffled his pink hair. “You’ve left yourself vulnerable,” he muttered. “Tell me, if they’re just three vampires, and you know how to kill them, why come for help?”

            Wonsik was quiet for a bit. “Well, I just said we need-”

            “A sigil drawer, I know,” Namjoon interrupted, “but you seem to be completely capable of handling the situation. You’ve never gone to anyone for help.”

            “They’re…stronger than I had anticipated.”

            “And smarter,” huffed the other. He gazed at the table. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I can’t help you.”

            Bristling, Wonsik sighed. “Why not?” The question was simple enough, spoken softly, but it demanded so much more than a simple answer. The hunter could feel his heart sink every second that whizzed by. “Why not?” he asked again, a little louder this time.

            Namjoon’s angry eyes finally met Wonsik’s. “Because we have problems of our own,” he hissed. “We can’t just leave and join your clan; there are people that need to be protected.”

            The hunter was not lying; Busan had a higher concentration of vampires than Seoul. However, the three vampires residing in Seoul at the moment were more dangerous than some in the other city.

            “I said nothing about joining my buddies!” Wonsik exclaimed.

            Some eyes turned to the two young men as the volume got too loud to ignore.

            Cheeks flushing slightly, Wonsik lowered his voice. “I just need Hoseok. He’ll come back when he’s done.”

            “And leave us vulnerable? There are more bloodsuckers crawling around here. We can’t be left open like that.” Namjoon, realizing his growing frustration, got up to leave, followed by Wonsik. “I can’t have one of us going off to get killed,” he growled as the door closed behind him.

            Wonsik rolled his eyes. “He isn’t going to be killed, I can promise you that.”

            Shaking his head, Namjoon looked at the other. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “We can’t help you. These vampires are experienced.”

            “What do you mean?”

            Now it was Namjoon’s turn to roll his eyes. “Please, think about it. The first person the vampires took out was the one that posed the most threat: the sigil drawer. Younger covens just try and sweep a hunting clan clean in one go. They don’t last that long.” Namjoon shook his head. “These vampires have learned about the hunters, and that makes them even more dangerous. I’m sorry.” He did not give time for Wonsik to protest, brushing past him and avoiding eye contact.

            Wonsik was left speechless as he watched the pink hair disappear into the crowd. The gravity of the situation hit him then, and he realized that he and Taekwoon would be all alone in this fight. His mind flashed back to many a failed hunt before Sanghyuk arrived. He thought of Hongbin returning and having his way with the two, free from any bonds sigils could produce. “Dammit,” he swore under his breath. He had been away from home long enough, and there was no time to look again. He would catch the next train back to Seoul.

            When Namjoon rounded the corner, he came face to face with Hongbin. It was quite abrupt, as the hunter almost ran into the vampire.

            Smiling, Hongbin flashed his fangs. “I liked what you did out there,” he commented. “It’s not easy turning people down.”

            Namjoon did not answer. He only glared at the creature. “Where is he?”

            “Oh yeah,” Hongbin laughed as if he suddenly remembered. “Come with me.” As he started walking, he called over his shoulder, “I know of the gun in your pocket. You don’t have to worry; I won’t attack you. It wouldn’t serve me in any way.”

            The two made their way to a motel and up to room 293.

            Unlocking it, Hongbin stepped aside as Namjoon rushed past.

            The room had two beds, and on one, a man laid, cuffed to the bed post.

            Namjoon rushed to the man’s side, concern painted on his face. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Did he hurt you in any way?”

            Smiling, the man shook his head. “I’m fine, Namjoon. He didn’t hurt me that much.”

            “Oh, Seokjin.” Namjoon breathed a sigh of relief before turning to Hongbin. “I did what you wanted. Let him go.” His hand twitched instinctively towards his gun.

            Twirling the key to the cuffs around his finger, Hongbin stepped forward. “I trust you not to turn back on our deal,” he said as he unlocked Seokjin. “That would be unfortunate. I would have to come after you then.” His voice dripped with mock concern.

            “You don’t have to worry,” Namjoon replied, hugging Seokjin tightly.

            The two started making their way to the door, cautious and hoping Hongbin would not attack them with their backs turned.

            Back in Seoul, Taekwoon watched Sanghyuk write his name. “Is that good enough?”

            Shaking his head, Sanghyuk almost through the pencil at the wall. “It’s too shaky,” he groaned. “The energy would get confused.” He cast an angry glance to the wall. “I’m fucking useless.”

            Taekwoon kept his mouth shut. There was no much else he could do. “Call if you need anything,” he said. At the moment, what he needed was some good Korean drama to watch. It distracted him during times like these, and he had to shake the feeling of paranoia off him somehow. Unfortunately, he would get no such luck. As soon as he sat down and grabbed the remote, there was a knock at the door. Groaning, he got up and stormed over. “Welcome back, Wonsik,” he spat as he jerked the door open.

            Staring back at him, Hakyeon could not help but smile. “Really? Do I look like Wonsik?”

            Tensing immediately, Taekwoon’s hand flew to his knife. “What are you doing here?”

            “I never paid you back for the drink,” the vampire answered. “Can I come in?” His eyes flashed that eerie purple.

            Taekwoon, not knowing what to do, only stared back in fear.

**So sorry for the delay. I hope you all like it. Thank you for reading. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	11. A Tempting Offer

**Hey, everyone! I am back because I wanted to get another chapter in before the exams start! I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me and enjoying this story. Here we go!**

“Remember,” Hakyeon laughed, “the myths are just myths.”

            Taekwoon did not respond.

            “I could just walk in anytime. This, me standing here,” he motioned to the doorframe, “is just common curtesy.” Finally, he shrugged and brushed past the hunter. “Where’s your friend?”

            Taekwoon followed the vampire inside, still on edge. He never let Hakyeon out of his sight. “Sanghyuk’s in the other room,” he answered gently, watching the vampire move. “Wonsik is…out.”

            “Looking for another sigil drawer,” Hakyeon replied. He knew what clans did when their drawers were hurt or killed. Moving like a ghost, he entered the other room. “Oh,” he sighed when he saw Sanghyuk asleep. He saw the shaking hands as he moved closer. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

            Taekwoon took his gun out slowly, as if he thought he could hide that from Hakyeon.

            With his heightened senses, Hakyeon could hear the rustle of clothes, but he chose to ignore it, choosing instead to smile. He caressed the human’s face. “You’ve caused me so much pain.” His eyes traveled to the shaking hands. “I can sympathize with you now. What have you done, Hongbin.” He turned and looked at Taekwoon. “That’s right,” he said, voice changing to a lighter tone. “The story.” Silently, he left the room and headed to Taekwoon’s room. As he passed the room he was held in, he shivered, still recalling the pain he suffered.

            Taekwoon followed, not knowing whether to attack the creature or not. If he did, though, he would not be able to fight for long. “Hakyeon, at least get off my bed.”

            Hakyeon chuckled as he stayed where he was. “Listen.” His smile faltered. “My story. There was a woman,” he started, “in France. She was down with a little something called the Bubonic plague. She knew of vampires; they were legends back then, so she sought me out.”

            Realizing there was not much else he could, Taekwoon sat down beside the vampire.

            “She begged me to help her, knowing she was dying a terrible death. I said no, but she kept begging. My venom would condemn her to a lonely immortal life. It would be too much.”

            Taekwoon frowned. “But it would cure her, wouldn’t it?”

            Hakyeon nodded. “It would, but it would be like putting out a bonfire with a tsunami. She was adamant, and I relented…I shouldn’t have.” He licked his fangs, as if remembering them sinking into her flesh. “She was cured, as expected, and I told her to leave the city until her blood urges subsided. My coven and I left for Germany.”

            Taekwoon could imagine Hongbin, Jaehwan, and Hakyeon in 14th century clothes and see the old buildings dotting the country sides.”

            “News travels fast. Soon, people in Germany were talking about a monster in a woman’s body, a bloodsucker.” By now, Hakyeon seemed to be talking to himself more than Taekwoon. “I had to do something. I traveled back to France with Jaehwan and gave him a lesson in self-defense, a trial by fire. He was able to kill her, and Hongbin burned the body.”

            “Jaehwan killed her?” Taekwoon knew of Jaehwan’s abilities as a vampire, but he never thought the kid had it in him to kill another of his species.

            “I always tell myself it was a teaching opportunity, but I think I was not strong enough to kill something I created. There’s almost a sense of pride when you create a new life, and I did not…could not destroy it.” Hakyeon turned back to Taekwoon with a sad smile on his lips. “I’ll make it quick. He won’t feel a thing.”

            Time blurred for Taekwoon, blinded by anger and fear, and the next thing he knew was him pressing the barrel of his gun into Hakyeon’s neck. “Make what quick?”

            Tilting his chin up submissively, Hakyeon let out a ragged breath. “You _were_ listening to my story, right? I can fix Sanghyuk’s shaky hands. I can douse the bonfire with the tsunami.”

            Now two and two connected in Taekwoon’s mind, and he bared his teeth. “I won’t let you touch him. I can’t let you do that.”

            The barrel pressed into his neck harder as Hakyeon choked, “is that really your decision to make?”

            “It’s not yours either,” Taekwoon replied. He eyed the door, realizing he was stepping back as Hakyeon was stepping forward. “Sanghyuk is the only one that can make that decision.”

            Smiling, Hakyeon stopped pressing forward and turned away, heading back to the bed. “Then we’ll just have to wait for him to get up.”

            “No,” Taekwoon almost shouted. “You have to leave. Wonsik will be back, and God knows what he’ll do to you.” He hated to admit it, but part of him did not want the vampire to get hurt. “I want you to leave.”

            Sanghyuk blinked awake as he thought he heard Taekwoon talking to Wonsik. Confused, he looked to the clock by his bed and sighed when he realized he fell asleep. “Ugh, Taekwoon!” He slid off, careful not to hurt his hands. He opened the door, ignoring the sound of the knob shaking. “Why didn’t you get me up?”

            Taekwoon jumped when he heard Sanghyuk wake up. He looked to Hakyeon in alarm, not sure of what to do.

            Hakyeon gestured to the door with his eyes; now was the perfect time to ask the subject in question.

            Sanghyuk rubbed his eyes as he shuffled into Taekwoon’s room. “You know I have trouble falling asleep if I take a nap.” He looked up and froze, seeing Hakyeon sitting on the bed.

            There was silence for a moment, everyone trying to comprehend what was going on and who was where.

            “Taekwoon, move!” Sanghyuk ordered as he pulled out his own gun. He fired at Hakyeon, but his hands made it hard to squeeze the trigger and harder to aim.

            Hakyeon did not have to move as the bullet embedded itself into the wall to the right of him. “You’re just in time. I have a question for you.” His eyes flashed purple as he looked to the drawer’s hands. “You want to get better, right?”

            Sanghyuk slowly looked to his own hands and the wavering barrel.

            “I can stop that shaking for you. I know you want that.” Hakyeon stood, looking at Taekwoon. He did not sound like a devil seducing his victim; he sounded more like a concerned parent. “I’m sorry for what they did for you, but I want to help.”

            “Why?” Sanghyuk hissed. “After what we did to you? Why would you even consider it?”

            “You were scared,” was the cool reply. “Humans tend to get like that.”

            Taekwoon looked to Sanghyuk. “You’ll get better,” he insisted, “I promise. We’ll help you.”

            The drawer looked to the vampire, flawless and free from pain. “H-how can you fix this?” He held up his hands.

            Dropping his gaze, Hakyeon elongated his fangs. “You will have to become the one thing you hate. It’ll fix you, yes, but you will become…this.” He bared his fangs, eyes flashing his eerie purple light. “A monster.”

            Sanghyuk swallowed and thought back to how he could barely write his name. It was a great thought; him being able to write and draw again. “I can’t,” he finally breathed, though he wasn’t so sure. “I can’t be like you.”

            Hakyeon shrugged. “Only trying to help, and you do look like you need help. You said it yourself that you were useless with the nerve damage.”

            A shot rang out, sound reverberating through the room.

            Taekwoon jumped in surprise, ears ringing from the sound.

            Sanghyuk was on the floor, hoping the bullet was not ricocheting off the walls. He looked up cautiously.

            Hakyeon cried out in pain, clutching his shoulder.

            Wonsik stormed into the room, gun still smoking, as he growled at Taekwoon. “Why didn’t you kill him?” He cocked the gun again and fired another silver bullet at his prey.

            Hakyeon scoffed as he dodged the bullet with ease. “You again.” His eyes hardened into steel, canines sharpening themselves. “This could get interesting. How was search?” he asked. “Unsuccessful, I see.” His kind demeanor was gone.

            Wonsik stepped forward, gun still aimed. “What did you do?”

            “Nothing,” Hakyeon shrugged, looking around the room. “I only came to help him.”

            Wonsik looked at Sanghyuk hesitantly. “You made a deal with him?”

            Shaking his head, Sanghyuk showed his hands.

            “You don’t need to worry,” Hakyeon said. “I was unable to persuade him.”

            “Persuade?” Wonsik sounded confused.

            “What?” Hakyeon scoffed, “you think we just change without consent? No, that’s only when we feed.” He looked to Taekwoon. “We’re more than just bloodsuckers. I’ll see you again.” As the gun fired, he ran off in a blur, leaving through the window.

            “NO!” Wonsik nearly screamed, firing his bullets at the fleeing vampire. “Don’t let him get away!”

            Taekwoon could do nothing. He just watched in stunned silence at the holes in the wall.

            Swearing under his breath, Wonisk rushed to the window, leaning out to look at the streets, but he could not see Hakyeon anymore. “What kind of hunter are you?” he spat as he brushed past Taekwoon.

            Taekwoon found it hard to look into Wonsik’s eyes as he past. He found it hard to look into those hard, uncaring spheres. _What happened to you? Where is my friend?_

**So here was the next chapter! Please bear with me, as I feel like this was more talking than action again. I’m just trying to set something up. Thank you all for reading! I can’t say that enough. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	12. A Fracture in Families

**Hello, everyone! So sorry for the delays; I am finished with finals, so now I can get some chapters in. Thank god for breaks. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next chapter of A Bloody Science. Here we go!**

Wonsik stormed into his own room, slamming his gun on the bedside table. He emptied the magazine and started cleaning it, not knowing what else to do. “I can’t believe this,” he muttered.

            Sanghyuk stared at his shaky hands before approaching Wonsik’s room.

            Taekwoon sighed as he too went to Wonsik’s room. “Wonsik.”

            “I leave,” Wonsik hissed, “and entrust Sanghyuk’s safety to you. I come back, and there’s that fucking leech sitting in your bed and talking to you.” His eyes pierced into Taekwoon’s very soul. “If you see a vampire, you shoot it no matter what. Do you remember when I told you that?”

            “I do,” Taekwoon said. “I do, but he wasn’t attacking me. He was here to help.”

            “Help with what?” Wonsik demanded. When he did not receive an answer, he had to figure it out on his own, though it was not hard. “Sanghyuk? Do you know what that entails? It certainly isn’t friendly help.”

            “I know that.”

            “Do you, Taekwoon? Had Hakyeon bitten Sanghyuk, he would become one of them.” Wonsik’s eyes darted to the maknae standing in the doorway.

            Sanghyuk could not help but roll his eyes. “I’m not a child,” he insisted. “I can fend for myself.” He unsheathed his dagger. “I may be shit at aiming, but at least I can slash.” He walked in further. “Besides, Taekwoon wasn’t the only one who talked with him. He talked to me too.”

            Wonsik’s piercing gaze met Sanghyuk. “Oh really?” he gasped, voice dripping with mock surprise. “What exactly did he say?”

            Sanghyuk swallowed as if he felt the heat of his friend’s gaze. “He said he could help…” he looked at his hands, “…this.”

            “And you believed him.”

            “Yes.”

            Wonsik chuckled as he turned back to his gun. “They say these things, Sanghyuk, but they don’t mean them. And you.” He pointed to Taekwoon. “How long have we known each other?”

            Taekwoon, a surprised by the sudden attention, took a while to think. “Ten years?”

            Wonsik shook his head. “Longer than that. And I always trusted you to have my back. No matter what came after us.”

            Taekwoon lowered himself on the bed. “Why bring this up now?”

            Finally stilling his hands, Wonsik slowly looked at his friend. “Because now I can’t trust you.”

            Silence filled the room and crushed everyone with its pressure.

            Sanghyuk’s eyes flicked back and forth between Taekwoon and Wonsik. For him, the silence was not only crushing, but it was also awkward. Having been the newest member of the small clan, he was not on the level of comfort Wonsik and Taekwoon were; the former sigil drawer did not know whether or not to leave. While it did affect their group, this was more between those two than him.

            The silence was finally enough for Wonsik, and he held out his hand. “I can take your gun.”

            Taekwoon was shocked; it was his most efficient way of dealing with threats, and now Wonsik wanted to take it from him. “Why?” He held it close to him.

            “I could use the extra weapon, and it’s better than it lying around.” Wonsik leaned forward, adamant about taking it. He glared at Taekwoon.

            “You can trust me,” Taekwoon replied. “If it was anyone else, then I would shoot.”

            Wonsik grew angry again. “Why, Taekwoon? Why him? Why that one?”

            Taekwoon could only stare back. He himself did not know why, it was just the feeling in his heart.

            Wonsik shook his head in disgust. “Fine. Keep the gun, but next time, use it for fuck’s sake.”

            Hakyeon’s eyes flared as he watched Hongbin come at him.

            “You went to see Taekwoon again,” the other vampire hissed. “I can smell it on you.” His eyes were flaring green. His fangs were out in a clear sign of aggression.

            As the leader of the coven, Hakyeon could not just turn and ignore Hongbin. He could not just brush this little confrontation away; Hongbin was challenging him. “Yeah, I saw him,” he snapped back. “I’m allowed to do that.”

            “What I don’t smell is that hunter’s blood.” Hongbin was practically butting heads with Hakyeon. “You didn’t kill him. Why not?”

            “You were there too,” the leader shot back. “Why did you not kill him?”

            “It was not a decision I can make,” Hongbin snarled. “It’s yours. Or did you forget that?” he laughed. Falling deadly serious, he licked his fangs. “If you can’t make decisions for us anymore, then I could always take over.”

            That was it. Hakyeon grabbed Hongbin by the throat and threw him into the nearest wall.

            The stone broke almost instantly, and Hongbin landed in the next room, sliding a bit as he stopped himself. Shaking debris from his hair, he glared at Hakyeon and got to his feet.

            In the basement, Jaehwan was about to sink his fangs into a blood bag when he heard the wall cave in. He had an idea of what was going on, but he had to be sure. Placing the bag in the fridge, he raced upstairs. He skidded to halt when he saw what was going on. He looked at the broken wall and the two vampires circling each other like vultures over a kill.

            “Why do you want them dead?” Hakyeon snarled.

            Hongbin let out a laugh. “Why _don’t_ you want them dead? After what they did to you?”

            “They were just scared, Hongbin,” Hakyeon replied. “What would we do if we had one of them? We would drink them dry, or keep them for a quick snack here and there. How is that any better?” All he got for an answer was an angry punch from his opponent.

            Jaehwan raced in between them and pushed Hongbin away. “What has gotten into you?!” He turned to his leader. “The both of you?!” He pointed to the stone wall. “Now I have to rebuild it because you two can’t hold a conversation.”

            “Get out of the way,” Hongbin snarled.

            Jaehwan shook his head, eyes glowing orange. “We need to have a civilized conversa-”

            Hongbin shoved the younger vampire away, not even caring where he landed. He advanced on Hakyeon as Jaehwan hit the dinner table in the other room, collapsing one of its legs in the process. “Do your job as leader, and we won’t have this happen again.”

            “Don’t question my actions again.” Hakyeon wanted this to end, but it could not. He could not let Hongbin think he was in control. As a final act of dominance, he surged forward and opened his mouth, latching onto Hongbin’s neck and sinking his fangs in. It was not enough to kill the other, but it did cause significant pain.

            Hongbin nearly screamed in pain, and he tried to pull himself away. While not the smartest idea, he was able to, Hakyeon’s teeth taking some flesh away, but that victory was short lived.

            As soon as he felt Hongbin get away, Hakyeon chomped down again, securing his hold.

            Jaehwan gripped his leader’s shoulder, not wanting to rip the two away. If he did, Hongbin would suffer more injuries. “Hakyeon, let go. Let go, please,” he said softly.

            Hongbin’s was panting, but he did not struggle any more. It was down to what Hakyeon wanted to do now. This was his way of submitting.

            When he was satisfied, Hakyeon did let go, spitting blood out of his mouth as he backed away. Turning his attention to the mess they made, he sighed. “Go out and hunt,” he ordered Jaehwan as he picked up a large piece of rubble. “He’ll need it to heal,” he said as he nodded towards Hongbin.

            Hongbin had sat on the couch as he gripped his neck. The blood coming out did not frighten him; he was more afraid of Hakyeon coming at him again. He kept his eyes down, assuming a non-threatening position as he sat.

            “Can I trust you to leave him alone?” Jaehwan asked as he passed Hakyeon. When he was told he could, he looked at Hongbin. “And you? Can I trust you not to be stupid enough to attack again?”

            Hongbin nodded silently.

            Satisfied, the young vampire left, kicking some stones out of the way as he left. Calling on his lessons, he headed for the bar again, still hesitant to get too close. He would have to wait thought; it was 10:30 pm, and he was taught to start searching around midnight. Well, he could always have a drink. The vampire was about to step in when he caught a familiar scent. Granted, there were no traces of blood, but it was unmistakable. He backed out and followed it, finding himself heading towards the grocery store. He smiled.

            Sanghyuk was standing outside, scanning the crowd.

             In an instant, Jaehwan was at his side, smile doing little to hide his fangs. “Nice to see you again.”

            Sanghyuk did not share the same enthusiasm. He did not feel safe being pressed against the store wall with a predator looming in. He met Jaehwan’s eyes. “I was hoping to find you.”

            “How’d you know where to look?”

            Sanghyuk found Jaehwan’s gaze uncomfortable. “If you want to scout out your prey, what better place than this?”

            Jaehwan shrugged. “Maybe the mall.”

            Finding that comment a little funny, Sanghyuk cracked a small smile. Then he remembered what he was dealing with and stopped it. “I want to talk to you. Not here of course.”

            “Who’s paying attention?”

            It was true, as people were too busy getting their groceries to worry about what two young men were talking about.

            “Hakyeon came to me last night,” Sanghyuk said quietly. “He told me you could fix this…well not you personally, but you as a vampire.”

            Jaehwan’s eyes fell to the drawer’s hands. A smile played on his lips. “Do you really want that?”

            Sanghyuk finally lowered his gaze. He was waffling between the options, not knowing what was the right decision. “I need to know more before I…before I accept.”

            Jaehwan looked at his watch. It was 11:30 pm. He had time. Hongbin would have to hold on a little longer. “Let me by you a drink,” he offered, walking to the bar.

            Sanghyuk, against his better judgement, followed without another word.

**So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing this one too. Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me! I will try and get another chapter up soon. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	13. A New Life

**Sorry for the late update, everyone! I am so happy you all like this story! There are a lot of people commenting and telling me to continue, and that keeps me going. Anyway, I don’t want to ramble on. Just know that I am grateful. Here we go!**

The bar was quite the cacophonous setting; one would not want to have a conversation in there. The soccer game was on, and all the fans watching were in full swing, hooting, cheering, and shouting, fully invested in the game.

            Sanghyuk’s eyes were drawn to the TV as Jaewhan slid onto the stool next to him.

            “Can I get two Shirley temples, please?” the vampire shouted over the din.

            Sanghyuk turned his attention to Jaehwan, not wanting to let his guard down even for a moment. “Two?”

            “One for you, one for me,” Jaehwan said plainly, not looking at the sigil drawer. “We shouldn’t stay here for long. You want to have that cured?” He gestured to the shaking hands. “Do you really think becoming a vampire is the way to go? They have doctors that can help you, you know?”

            Sanghyuk made a show of rolling his eyes as he sipped on the drink. “Do you think I want this?” he asked. “If the doctors could help me, I would have gone to them instead! This,” he gestured to himself and Jaehwan, “is a last resort. A last fucking resort.” His irate rant was not over then. “You did this to me, you and your friend. YOU did this!”

            Jaehwan, slightly taken aback by the change of events, got defensive. “Then why have you crawled back to us?” he shouted back.

            If it were not for the unruly crowd gathering around the TV, eyes may have turned.

            The human stood there for a good minute, breathing heavily as he thought of what to say. He finally sat down in defeat. “I’ve become…useless,” he finally admitted, casting his gaze to the crystalline ice cubes that sat at the bottom of his glass. “I can’t use my sigils…I can’t aim a gun, and I’m shit at wielding a dagger. Wonsik is treating me like a child, saying that I can’t fend for myself, and I’m sick of it.”

            The vampire watched Sanghyuk admit his weakness to him, and he finally decided to bring him to Hakyeon. “Come with me.” He had been convinced.

            Besides, if Hakyeon changed his mind, they could always have a meal.

            Apprehensively, Sanghyuk slid off the stool and followed the vampire to the bathroom. It was extremely shady, but the drawer was fairly confident Jaewhan did not want him dead. He would have been already killed if that were the case; he had no doubt about that.

            In the bathroom, they went immediately went to the other side where a window allowed the daylight spill through.

            Opening it, Jaehwan wormed his way through, landing gracefully on the ground.

            Sanghyuk was less graceful, landing on his side with a grunt of pain. It was a few minutes before he realized that he was behind the restaurant. What a weird place for a bathroom. Anyway, he turned to see Jaehwan produce a tie from his jacket pocket. “What is that?” he asked quickly as the vampire approached him.

            “What do you think it is?” Jaehwan asked with a little annoyance tainting his words. “It’s a blindfold, idiot. It’s to keep you guessing where the coven hangs out. Better this than…” He pantomimed getting bludgeoned on the head, and was pleased when Sanghyuk nodded in agreement.

            With his sight cut off, Sanghyuk felt more vulnerable than he would have liked to. He wanted to fight back when he felt himself being lifted off his feet, but he knew it would be pointless. He just let himself be carried off to where he assumed the nest was. The diligent hunter started taking note of sounds and smells, attempting to map out where he was being taken. That effort was abandoned when the wind started whipping his face as Jaehwan got faster and faster.

            It had to be less than ten minutes when they slowed down. They had arrived.

            Blinking rapidly as his eyes got used to light, Sanghyuk looked around. It would be a lie to say he was not surprised.

            They were not in any house, but in the woods on the outskirts of Seoul.

            “Did you really think we would take you to our house?”

            Turning around in surprise, Sanghyuk found himself face to face with Hakyeon himself.

            “I see you took up my offer.”

            “Not quite,” Sanghyuk noted. “I wanted to know what I was getting into.” He looked to Hakyeon’s side when a stick broke.

            Hongbin appeared, hateful eyes trained on the human as if he was expecting an attack.

            Hakyeon took a quick look at Sanghyuk’s shaking hands before looking back at the hunter. “You haven’t gotten better.”

            “Thanks for reminding me,” the hunter snapped back.

            “Are you sure you want to do this?” Hakyeon sounded like he was changing the human against his will. “There’s no going back.”

            “I thought about it,” Sanghyuk said solemnly. “I am useless to my friends-”

            “And you’ll still be useless after this,” Hongbin interrupted with a hiss. “You turn into a vampire, you do not turn against your sire.”

            There was so much aggression in the vampire’s voice, that Sanghyuk had to keep himself from flinching.

            Hakyeon rolled his eyes, clearly fed up with Hongbin’s unwarranted anger. “Whatever you have against him,” he insisted, “will be behind us if he decides to turn. Please leave it at that.”

            If you looked up the definition of disbelief, a picture of Hongbin’s face would be next to it. “Are you kidding me? After what he’s done to you? How can you be so goddamn forgiving?”

            Hakyeon replied, “can we please remember who caused this?” He stepped forward and held up one of Sanghyuk’s hands. “Who got us into this mess? Had it not been for you acting on a whim, he would still be able to write his fucking name.” His voice was soft, yet it carried a domineering presence with it.

            The other vampire’s eyes flashed. “Well good. All that’s left is him becoming a bigger problem, disrupting the peace, and getting himself killed.”

            “What peace?” Sanghyuk wondered. “Your kind causes so much pain to families across the world. If you weren’t so good with cleaning up after yourselves, at least the families would have closure.”

            Sensing a challenge, Hongbin stepped up to the drawer. “What would you tell those families, Sanghyuk?” he asked. “What would you say? That their loved one was drained of all blood thanks to a vampire? That you weren’t able to find the body because bloodsucking humans were able to hide it so well?”

            Jaehwan laid a comforting hand on Hongbin’s shoulder, gently keeping the vampire back. “It seems to me,” he said, addressing Sanghyuk, “that you have second thoughts. Why would you want to change into something you hate?” He turned a curious eye to the human.

            Hakyeon shook his head. “There can be no hesitation with this.”

            Sanghyuk felt the gravity of the situation weigh on his mind. He looked at his hands, the greatest tools of his life, and let out a sad sigh. “Like I said before, I can’t use these anymore. I don’t want feel useless.”

            “Then who are you going to be useful to?”

            The drawer hesitated to answer, not knowing what to say. “I could…” He looked at the vampires, standing there like perfect statues gazing back at him. He wanted to be still like that. Ever since the attack, he was able to stand still, sure, but his hands would be forever shaking. It was hard to write, and it would sometimes get so bad that he had to stop drinking, for he was afraid of spilling his drink. Frankly, he was exhausted from the effort of worrying about it. “I’m tired,” he finally said. “I’m ready.”

            Hakyeon nodded. “What would your friends say? Were they okay with this?”

            “They don’t know,” admitted Sanghyuk. “I left while they were fighting, and they probably think I’m on a walk.”

            Hakyeon sighed. He turned to Jaehwan. “You can change him, can’t you?”

            Jaewhan nodded solemnly. “I can.” He took a step forward and looked at the soon-to-be vampire.

            Sanghyuk looked back at his soon-to-be sire. “You’ll help me, right?” he asked them all, paying special attention to Hongbin. “I don’t want to be alone in this…”

            Jaehwan nodded. “I’ll have to if I’m going to be your sire. Hakyeon’s already stated he’s ready to help.”

            Now that only left Hongbin, and he did not seem to be happy with the whole idea. Well, that was two out of three.

            “Let’s leave them alone,” Hakyeon more ordered than suggested, and he and Hongbin turned to leave. A vampire changing a human was a more intimate process than downright feeding, and it was best done in isolation.

            “Don’t worry,” Jaehwan said, taking a seat on the ground. “I know where they’re going. Come here.” The order was kind and not at all forceful.

            Sanghyuk took a shaky breath as he obeyed, the gravel shifting under as he sat down. He swallowed as a finger was laid on his neck, feeling for a pulse.

            Jaehwan knew where the jugular was, but it was not a good idea to mess up a changing. If the venom was not administered into the jugular, it would start a weird process called the semi-change. A victim of that would “die” but never wake up as a vampire; it would be an eternal sleep that was not death. Jaehwan knew this, and he wanted to get his first changing right. It would not only solidify his identity as a vampire, but as a member of Hakyeon’s coven.

“You have to forgive Hongbin,” he finally said.

            Sanghyuk frowned. “Why?”

            Jaehwan leaned forward and smelled the blood pulsing under that neck, already hungry. “He had changed someone before, but it didn’t go as planned.”

            Sanghyuk took the bait. “What happened?”

            “The fledgling made it through the changing, but he did turn against his sire. Said it was because he was not allowed to feed whenever he felt the tiniest hunger pain. Hongbin eventually dispatched him when his feeding frenzies got too noticeable.” He looked around to make sure no one was around before moving behind Sanghyuk. He gently tilted the human’s head to the side, baring Sanghyuk’s throat. He had to admit, he liked the way Sanghyuk’s Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed.

            Sanghyuk closed his eyes, waiting for his “death”. Having his throat bared made him feel vulnerable and helpless, completely throwing his life at the feet of this bloodsucker. He could have sworn he heard the fangs elongating as they neared their mark. The puncture pain was sharp before melting into a dull aching pain as the bite continued.

            Jaehwan drank his fill with caution. He had to be careful; the aim was to take out most of the blood before injecting the venom. This would make sure the newborn would have a meal to stave off the bloodlust. It was entirely up to Jaehwan whether or not Sanghyuk lived. It was an enormous amount of pressure. The vampire continued until he could hear the faint heartbeat that was trying so hard stop and flutter. Then, as if on instinct, his venom flowed forth, rushing into the saliva and coating his teeth.

            Sanghyuk had felt the blood leaving his body, an alien sensation for him. As he felt more blood leaving, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He had, in a way, “died”.

            His work done, Jaehwan slid his fangs out and retracted them. Lying the body down, he stayed by Sanghyuk’s side to wait. It would be a long forty minutes, but he could watch the sunset over the horizon.

            In the warm summer air, the sunset was amazing, brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows spilling across the sky. The birds sang their songs to the heavens as the cars, trains and busses screamed their own unique song up. A gentle breeze carried the scent of the forest to Jaehwan and offered him some comfort. The relative peace of the area made him almost forget the mini war they were embroiled in. A groan pierced through the air, demanding Jaehwan’s immediate attention, and the vampire’s eyes flew to the former human.

            Sanghyuk was still for a minute longer before he let out a huge gasp, eyes flashing yellow, and bolted upright. He was back, and now the very creature he had hunted for all these years.

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of A Bloody Science! I hope to get another one out soon. Thank you for being there for me, all of you. Have a great week/weekend, depending on when you’re reading this. Until I write again. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	14. A Big Mistake

**Hey, everyone! I’m back, and sorry for the long wait. There has been a lot going through my life recently and school work, but enough excuses. Let’s get to the story. Here we go!**

The night was humid as screams and roared emanated from the woods on the outskirts of Seoul. Taekwoon emerged from the decrepit warehouse, worn out from clearing it of vampires. He had been anxious about Sanghyuk, and the way he dealt with anxiety was finding vampire covens and ending them. It was brutal, but it helped. The hunter had gone by himself; Wonsik was still searching for a sigil drawer. Footsteps alerted the hunter to something going bump in the night.

            “Well, aren’t you a cutie?” A vampire who appeared to be twenty came into view, blonde hair flowing over her shoulders in golden waves. “Are you lost baby boy?” She sounded British by the accent, and her blue eyes seemed to glow unnaturally. “Do you need to find your way home?” She laughed gently. “Or maybe you don’t have a home to go to…doesn’t look like it based off the clothes…”

            As the vampire looked him over, Taekwoon unsheathed his knife and made for her throat.

            She dodged the attack easily, laughing as she moved. “How did someone like you destroy my coven? Such slow attacks, it’s a wonder your still alive in this line of business.”

            Taekwoon wasted no time and reached for his gun at his right hip. As he brought it up, he fired it, hoping to hit the vampire in the leg.

            She, of course, dodged the silver bullet and surged forward. “You are the worst hunter I ever saw,” she snarled. “You can’t even shoot properly.”

            Taekwoon was silent, and he thrust his knife forward.

            The vampire screamed in pain and surprise as the silver burned her flesh. Instinctively, she pulled back to move away from the danger, but a hand was on her back, pressing her further onto the blade.

            As the body jerked from its death throes, Taekwoon blocked the disturbing movement from his mind. He had taken out vampires at close range before, but he never had to feel them seizing like this. He thanked God that the body did stop eventually and let it stop.

            However, there is no rest for the wicked, and another vampire picked him up and slammed him into the brick wall. “You bloody murderer,” he snarled, “I’ll have a fun time savoring your blood.” With that, he slapped the hunter across the face, making sure to use his nails as he went. “It smells wonderful, by the way,” he commented, licking his fingers and savoring the red substance. “Would you like a taste?” He held out his bloodied hand in offering.

            The hunter, lifted his gun to shoot, but screamed when the vampire kicked his arm with enough force to break it. “Fuck!” He felt fingers snaking through his hair, and he tried to jerk away. He only hit the bricks behind him, adding a headache to his pains.

            As Taekwoon tried to right himself up, the vampire frowned, confused. “Don’t hunters usually hunt in packs? Where are the others? Were they too busy to help out?”

            “Why do you care?”

            Shrugging, the vampire squatted down to Taekwoon’s eye level. “I was hoping to have a second meal ready to go once I drained you, but…I guess this is good enough.” He carded his fingers through Taekwoon’s hair and pulled, forcing the hunter to bare his throat. “I get this all to myself,” he more breathed than said to himself. “I’m such a lucky bastard.” The fangs dropped, and he leaned in for his drink. There was a howl and a blur of motion, and he was ripped away from his well-earned dinner. “No!” he shrieked as he realized something was trying to take what was his. “He’s mine!”

            Hakyeon stood before the vampire, eyes flashing purple. “Yours? What makes you say that?” He crouched like a tiger ready to pounce, eyes boring into his enemies. “What makes him yours?”

            “He was on my territory, fucking with my coven. I have a right to end him. It is justice.”

            Hakyeon laughed. “Justice? Your coven was not justice. What were you going to do with all those fledglings? Leave them? Abandon them?” Hakyeon bared his fangs. “I would’ve wiped out your coven myself.”

            Threatening to kill a sire’s fledglings was one way to get yourself killed, and this sire was no different. He lunged at Hakyeon, eyes flashing blue, roaring profanities and threats as he went.

            Hakyeon met him with the ferocity of an animal, using the charging creature’s weight and flinging him into the wall. He paid no mind to the bricks hitting him as he stepped through the building’s new hole. Through the dust, he could see the vampire struggle to get up. “Stay down,” he roared, kicking with all his might.

            Flung a few more yards, the enemy could not find the strength to get back up. He just laid there panting. He flinched as Hakyeon came closer to him.

            “That human is not yours,” Hakyeon said coolly. “When you were going to bite him, didn’t you see the bite marks? Those are my marks.” He pursued the other, eyes never leaving his target. “Get out of my sight.”

            Taekwoon stumbled to his feet as he and Hakyeon were left alone.

            Hakyeon turned to face the human and smiled a charming smile. “Are you okay?”

            Nodding, Taekwoon cautiously reached for his gun only to gasp as agony shot through his arm.

            By his side in an instant, the vampire held the hunter’s arm carefully. “Broken,” he mumbled. Swearing under his breath, he looked around, made sure they were alone, and slit his wrist with his finger. “Here. Drink this.”

            Taekwoon saw the blood and shook his head. “I can’t.”

            “Don’t be a fool. Your hurt. I don’t think you and Wonsik can afford another hunter out of action.”

            Taekwoon was instantly reminded of Sanghyuk’s absence. “Have you seen Sanghyuk?” he asked quickly. “Has he gone to you?”

            Hakyeon shook his head. “Don’t worry about that now. Just drink.” His wound had already closed, and the left-over blood was starting to dry. “Just a lick.”

            Vampire blood had healing qualities to it; many hunters kept a vial around for emergencies. The only danger to it was the high that came with it. Have too much, and you could become addicted. In fact, that was how some vampires got blood slaves, people who lived as snacks.

            The pain in Taekwoon’s arm blocked a lot of his rational thinking, and he leaned closer. “Just a lick,” he repeated. He swallowed and bowed his head, hesitantly licking up the red trail of blood. He could feel his bones start to set and fuse together in his arm, and the trenches the vampire scoured across his face knit together. And, of course, the high. The hunter felt a little happier, and all thoughts of Sanghyuk dissipated. A small smile graced his face as he stood.

            Hakyeon had to admit, he liked watching Taekwoon smile. It made him see beauty in humans again. He too stood up and patted the hunter on the back. “Let’s get you home.” As he gently pushed the hunter forward, he felt that little voice in the back of his head telling him that he made a big mistake.

            Taekwoon could only nod.

            “What the fuck are we doing here?” Jaehwan hissed as he followed Sanghyuk into the hunter’s lair. The sun was going down, but it only made Jaehwan more anxious. He knew humans stayed up long into the night, and the last time he checked, 6:30 pm was not late at night. “Sanghyuk!”

            Casting a glance at his sire, Sanghyuk only smiled. “It’s all right,” he whispered. “Taekwoon’s not here, and Wonsik’s been out trying to find help. I just need to get my clothes and stuff, then we can leave.” He passed the kitchen table, only to stop and do a double-take. He sighed sadly.

            A map was spread out like a table cloth, the same sigil scrawled over and over again adorned the paper.

            Jaehwan came up behind the fledgling. “What is it?”

            Sanghyuk explained with a weighted voice, “tracking sigils. They’re looking for me…I never knew they cared so much.” His eyes scanned the symbols. “By the looks of it, he’s failing.” He a failed sigil when he saw one; it would look like a burned out picture, only the outline remained.

            “You said ‘he’.”

            The fledgling clarified he as Taekwoon. “I was teaching him before…before you attacked me.”

            Jaehwan bristled. The attack was a touchy subject now that Sanghyuk was one of them. “It was Hongbin too.” It was a little something he could do to make him feel better. “I apologized.”

            Nodding, Sanghyuk started packing his stuff. “I _am_ sorry for bringing it up,” he admitted, “but it’s hard to forget.”

            “And the way I will make it up to you is by helping you,” the vampire promised. He sniffed the air suddenly. “What time is it?”

            Sanghyuk could smell it too. “It’s only 7:30. They’re usually out later than this, and I thought Wonsik wasn’t going to be back for a few days. He was gone for longer when I was still human.”

            Taking a deep breath in, Jaehwan dropped his fangs, ready to fight. “What will they do when they see you like this? With me?”

            Sanghyuk shrugged, worry playing out on his face. “Kill us both, I guess.” His eyes darkened. “We all know how Wonsik gets when he sees vampires.”

            “But you’re his friend,” Jaehwan whispered curtly. “They were trying to find you…they still care.”

            “None of that will matter when they find out I’m one of you,” the fledgling hissed back, tensing as the door opened.

            “In that case,” Jaehwan growled, “choose: fight or flight.”

**So that’ll wrap up this chapter. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story. I don’t mean to be stretching it out for so long; I just have new ideas and try to incorporate them into the story. Anyway, thank you for sticking with me. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	15. A Sudden Understanding

**I am so sorry for the long update. A lot has happened, and the end of school is always hectic. Couple that with a writing block, and you have yourself a hellishly slow updater. Forgive me, everyone. Excuses out of the way, here is another chapter! Please enjoy, and here we go!**

            Wonsik was beyond tired thanks to his search of an extra sigil drawer. It had been days since the last time he slept, and it was starting to weigh on him. He could barely think straight as he stumbled through the front door, not very surprised to find it unlocked. He thought Taekwoon got home before him. The hunter wanted to sleep and only sleep, but the vulnerability he felt kept himself awake. The look of hate Hakyeon gave him…the warnings the others gave Taekwoon…he felt it hard to sleep.

            Jaehwan could hear the man come in, and whispered, “his footsteps sound heavy. He’s probably sleep deprived.”

            “We could escape when he goes to bed,” Sanghyuk suggested.

            “That’s what we’re going to do,” the vampire replied. “He seems to be heading for another room. Come on.” With no sound whatsoever, he started to slink forward, switching off the lights. “Grab your stuff and let’s go.”

            Sanghyuk was torn between escaping and seeing his old friend. Would he be attacked or received happily? Knowing Wonsik’s position, the fledgling guessed it would be the first option. Jaehwan’s voice broke through his thoughts.

            “Come along, fledgling,” the vampire insisted. “I can hear more people coming.”

            Indeed, Sanghyuk could hear more footsteps. “No, it’s Hakyeon.” He relaxed until he heard the other voice. “Taekwoon is with him. Why is Taekwoon with him?”

            Outside, Hakyeon laughed as he and Taekwoon headed to the apartment. “And I’m sure Wonsik regretted mixing pickle and apple juice together.”

            Nodding, Taekwoon said, “he thought it would taste sweet and sour.”

            “What an idiot,” the vampire replied.

            Taekwoon chuckled as he fingered through his keys. Finding the right one, he pushed it into the keyhole, only to find it unlocked. _Wonsik must be home_.  He opened the door and flicked on the light. “Sanghyuk?”

            The fledgling was standing by the table, running his finger across the wood. “Hello, Taekwoon,” he sighed.

            “Where have you been?” the hunter asked, relieved to see his friend unharmed.

            Hakyeon looked to see Jaehwan come out from Sanghyuk’s room. “He wasn’t ready,” he growled. “Why did you let him do this?”

            “He just wanted to come and collect some clothes,” the sire said defensively. “Wonsik came in, then you guys, and the rest was history. There was literally no time to try and get out.” He was annoyed that Hakyeon was scolding him like some fledgling; he was a full-grown vampire with a fledgling of his own.

            “What,” Taekwoon’s soft voice somehow got between the two, “do you mean ‘he’s not ready’? Hakyeon, what do you mean?”

            Sanghyuk lowered his gaze, thinking carefully about his next move.

            Jaehwan shook his head surreptitiously, the action undetectable by human eyes.

            Hakyeon cocked his head. “He has the choice to decide, Jaehwan.”

            Taekwoon looked at the vampires before finally settling on his friend. “Sanghyuk, what are they talking about?”

            The hurt already present in Taekwoon’s voice hurt Sanghyuk’s heart, but his secret was something that had been weighing him down. He had wanted no secrets between his hunting partners, but being the one thing they hunted seemed to be an exception. But then again, if not now, when? With a solemn look, he exposed his fangs with a hiss. His eyes flared in response, and now he could only wait.

            Taekwoon could not rip his eyes away from his friend’s new…biology. He had no idea what to say, feeling betrayed because Sanghyuk was his friend and neutral because of Hakyeon. Part of him knew Sanghyuk would have to kill to live. Taekwoon’s entire purpose as a hunter was to keep that from happening. The room was silent as he processed what was happening.

            That silence was shattered by a whooshing sound as the very air warped around them.

            Sanghyuk’s eyes shot around the room in surprise before crying out, “barrier sigils!”

            Jaehwan swore under his breath. “How bad?”

            “Not too intense…Wonsik is not experienced. It will break, or we could risk a few burns going through,” the fledgling shot back.

            Wonsik ran out of the room, eyes wild with rage. He caught sight of Hakyeon’s purple eyes and snarled. “You’re back.” He twirled the knife to ease his anxiety as he surveyed the people standing in the kitchen. “All of you are back.” His hateful gaze found Sanghyuk. “I had an inkling you went to fix yourself.” He used the knife blade to point to the former drawer’s hands. “Show me.”

            Hesitantly, Sanghyuk held up his hands.

            Gazing at Sanghyuk, Wonsik muttered, “how many people have you killed? How much blood did you drink?” His knife was already out. “Do you feel any guilt? Any at all?”

            Sanghyuk swallowed. “It’s different now.”

            “Are you going to keep killing?”

            The fledgling lowered his gaze. “I have to feed somehow.”

            The atmosphere was tense; everyone did not know what to do. If one person so much as twitched a muscle, the whole situation could go downhill.

            Wonsik was ready to murder.

            Jaehwan and Sanghyuk were ready to run.

            Hakyeon was ready to protect his friends.

            Taekwoon was ready to break any fights apart.

            Who would make the first move?

            “Leave,” Wonsik finally whispered, shaking slightly from the adrenaline. His entire being was screaming that he was surrounded by monsters, and in a way, he was. He had to keep himself from spiking the first person who moved. He glared at the bloodsuckers. “Get out. Out, before I change my mind!”

            Jaehwan pushed his fledgling to the door. “Come on, Hakyeon,” he called as he passed.

            Sanghyuk stopped, fighting against his sire pushing him. He wanted to say goodbye; he had no idea when he would see the hunter again. “Wonsik-”

            A bullet imbedded itself next to the fledgling, stopping into the drywall. A metallic gleam flashed towards the vampires.

            Snarling, Jaehwan shoved himself between Sanghyuk and the knife, crying out as silver burned away at his flesh.

            Hakyeon, on instinct, threw himself at Wonsik, rage filling his mind. His eyes flashed purple as he flung the hunter into the wall across the room. His fangs caught the light as he went in for the kill; the sooner the threat was eliminated, the better. He bit down on the arm and was prepared to rip flesh away when a familiar taste flooded his month.

            Taekwoon whimpered as he felt Hakyeon’s fangs come to a halt. He held his own hunting knife out, the tip pricking Hakyeon’s neck. “Let go,” he said calmly despite his senses screaming at him to move away from the pain. “Hakyeon, you’re better than this. Don’t show Wonsik that you’re a monster.” His eyes seemed to dart towards his fellow hunter as he warned Hakyeon.

            Hakyeon hesitated, but he eventually let go, licking his fangs as he backed away.

            Jaehwan gripped his wound as he started leaving again. “Come on,” he gasped to Sanghyuk, “we have to find blood.” It would heal his body.

            Hearing this, Wonsik came to his senses. “You’re not killing anyone today.” He took aim and fired a single bullet.

            Sanghyuk saw it coming. It did not matter. He pulled Jaehwan out of the way and helped him get out the door. “Run,” he urged.

            Jaehwan, under the impression the fledgling would follow him, took off.

            Sanghyuk was going to run, but he was too slow. His body worked at the speed of a vampire at this time, but not his mind. His reaction time was still subpar to someone like Hakyeon. He felt the bullet graze the side of his neck, burning as it went. Screaming, he fell against the door frame, survival instincts kicking in.

            Jaehwan turned on a dime and streaked back. “Hakyeon, get out of here!” he cried as he scooped Sanghyuk up bridal style. Wasting no time, he ran out in a blur. “You’ll be fine,” he reassured Sanghyuk as he ran. “We’ll get you some blood. You’ll be all right.”

            Nodding, Sanghyuk just said, “it hurts. That’s all.” His hand was covering his wound as if he was afraid it was bleeding out, despite the fact that it was burned.

            Back at the apartment, Wonsik looked at Taekwoon. “Run it through,” he huffed. “Kill it.”

            Taekwoon swallowed.

            Hakyeon’s eyes locked onto Taekwoon’s. “You heard the man,” he almost spat.” He looked at the knife before taking a step forward. “You can do it, right Taekwoon?” He took another step. He could hear his own skin start to sizzle. He did not stop. “I mean, you’re the hunter, and I’m the prey.” He looked more hurt than angry. “Do it. You have to.” The vampire lowered his voice. “He’s watching.”

            Wonsik watched from where he lay, hoping Taekwoon would kill the leech, that Taekwoon would remain by his side. He had started this life with him, and nothing would hurt more than losing his brother. Watching Taekwoon struggle to kill Hakyeon hurt Wonsik in a way he did not know he could be hurt. “What are you waiting for?”

            “What _are_ you waiting for?” Hakyeon asked. He continued stepping forward, suppressing the urge to flinch and whimper at the burning sensations.

            The knife had to be an inch deep right now, and Taekwoon felt his back hit the wall. “Stop,” he growled. He had no idea why he was hesitating. He was taught, at an early age, to strike immediately and take out the threat. He was taught to shoot first and ask no questions later. Why was he hesitating now?

            “He’s watching,” Hakyeon told the hunter sadly. “He’s waiting.” The pain had gotten too great for him to continue his pursuit, and he was now standing tall, waiting. “Why are you hesitating?” he choked out.

            Memories flashed in Taekwoon’s head. He remembered Wonsik coming to him, offering a place to stay, and training him.

_“You cannot hesitate. You must remember that in order to stay alive. But, should you fall, you’ll always have me to fall back on,” Wonsik had said._

But then Taekwoon could see, in the fog of memories, Hakyeon’s beautiful smiles and laughs. He could remember the fascinating stories Hakyeon had told, remembered the pleasant feeling after the initial piercing of the vampire’s fangs. To be honest, Taekwoon never expected the world of vampires was more than the mindless bloodbaths legends told about. This conflict of information made the hunter stall.

            Finally, Wonsik had enough. He cocked his gun and fired.

            Without thinking, Taekwoon cried out, “no,” and threw himself in front of Hakyeon.

            In return, Hakyeon snaked his hand under Taekwoon’s outstretched arm, caught the bullet, and threw it aside before it could burn his hand.

            “What are you doing?!” Wonsik screamed in rage. He snatched up his knife and careened towards Taekwoon. “Get out of the way!”

            Taekwoon hardly recognized his friend. He could not see those caring eyes he was so used to. He could not hear that friendly voice anymore. He could only see a shell of a man, a monster.

            Hakyeon’s face had grown dangerously calm. He had enough of this. With a feral snarl, he rushed forward, a blur once again, and gripped the knife like his life depended on it. Ignoring the burns, he wrenched the weapon out of Wonsik’s hands and picked the hunter up by the neck. Eyes flashing purple, he bared his fangs and said, “your world is falling apart. Your sigil drawer is gone, and your friend is against you. No when you lost.”

            Wonsik, feeling his air being cut off, started kicking his feet, trying to loosen the vampire’s steel grip. He even tried shooting Hakyeon, but his gun lay useless a few feet away.

            Taekwoon saw Hakyeon’s cold face, and a flash of regret flew through his mind. Had he made the right choice in not killing Hakyeon?

            With nothing else to say, Hakyeon threw Wonsik away from him, sending the hunter through the wall with a tremendous crash.

            Wonsik only felt the impact before he blacked out.

            “We need to go before the neighbors start calling the police,” Hakyeon snarled as he walked back to Taekwoon.

            “Is he okay?”

            “We need to leave now.”

            Taekwoon took stunned step towards his friend, if he could even call Wonsik that anymore. “We?” he asked, finally picking up on Hakyeon’s language.

            Nodding the vampire forced Taekwoon to his feet. “You cannot stay here anymore. I thought that would be obvious to you.”

            The biting tone of Hakyeon’s voice made Taekwoon wonder if the vampire was angry with him. “Where will I go?” he asked gently.

            “Where else?” the vampire replied. He scooped up Taekwoon and walked out slowly, hoping no one would see them. Then he ran into the night, once again becoming a blur in the dark.

**So I hope the length of this chapter redeems me a bit. This reminds me that I should probably work on the other story…anyway, I hope you liked his chapter, and I am sorry for the long update. Thank you all for sticking with me. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	16. A Change in the Game

**I am back with another chapter! I am, once again, sorry for the slow updates. I hope you all enjoy this chapter I have. I feel this story is coming to an end soon. I hope it does not disappoint. Please enjoy. Here we go!**

Taekwoon, despite his best efforts, could not look away from his apartment as it grew smaller and dipped behind more buildings. He could not close his eyes, even as his hair whipped around them, occasionally hitting them in the process.

            Hakyeon was not breaking a sweat as he jumped from roof to roof. “Hongbin won’t be happy, but he’ll come around,” he said in a normal voice, as he and the other vampires could easily hear over the wind. However, when he received no answer, he remembered that Taekwoon was not a vampire. He slowed down and came to a halt on top of another apartment building and let Taekwoon down.

            Taekwoon was still shaken by the nights skirmish, and his brain was still processing what had happened.

            Hakyeon noticed this and felt the need to do something. “Are you okay?” He slapped himself mentally for such an inadequate question; of course the human was not okay. “Hongbin won’t be happy, but I’m sure he’ll come around,” he repeated.

            Taekwoon’s eyes fluttered in a vain attempt to blink. “I...I-I need some time…to reflect.” He almost crumpled to the ground but had enough consciousness to catch himself. “Wonsik…is he okay? Did you kill him?” Flashbacks of Hakyeon’s monstrous behavior in Taekwoon’s mind, and he almost recoiled from the vampire. “Is he dead?”

            Hakyeon shook his head quickly. “Your former friend is alive and well,” he almost hissed, slightly offended by the assumption. “I kept him alive, against my better judgement, for you. I assume you would not forgive me if I did end his life.”

            Taekwoon could not argue against that. “Where are you taking me?” he finally asked.

            “Back to my coven.”

            The hunter stiffened. He did not want to go back to a nest of creatures he and Wonsik had just tried to kill. His instincts cried for him to run, but his brain asked him why. He knew the vampire was so much faster than him without a sigil drawer’s assistance. He watched as the sky started turning brighter with the rising sun.

            Hakyeon squatted down and took Taekwoon’s hand gently. He held that soft caring look that Taekwoon had come to love. “You need to rest,” he informed softly. “Let’s get you home.”

            “Why me?” Taekwoon finally asked, confronting Hakyeon. “I don’t see many vampires in your coven, and I assume you don’t go around dating any human, and especially not a hunter.” The hunter looked more hurt than anything else, as if he was expecting Hakyeon to reveal a terrible secret.

            Sighing, Hakyeon sat down and said, “I thought you knew.” He dropped Taekwoon’s hand. “It’s more than your blood, you know. It tastes amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it has always been more.”

            Taekwoon felt some hope grow inside him. He would finally have something explained to him.

            Hakyeon fell silent before cracking a sly smile. “I’ll tell you more about it when you’re safe.” He got up and hoisted Taekwoon up bridal style. “I promise.”

            Taekwoon could only roll his eyes as he was whisked away one more time.

            Wonsik felt himself start to wake, but the terrific headache beating in his head made him wish he was asleep again. The air around him smelled sterile, not like his apartment. Eyes shot open, and the hunter sat up, alert and ready. Bright lights met his gaze, and it took some time for the hunter to realize where he was.

            The hospital halls were abuzz with wheels and feet. The daylight streamed in, reflecting off metal poles that held medicine drips and bed frames.

            Wonsik was surprisingly not as confused as he should have been. It made sense, and his brain could connect the dots. He had been attacked, knocked out, and sent to the hospital. It was as simple as that.

            A nurse came in and smiled when he saw the patient was awake. “Mr. Kim,” he greeted. “I’ve spoken with Doctor Park. The good news is that there’s no permanent or serious damage. You should be able to walk out this afternoon.”

            Wonsik glanced at the clock and sighed when he saw the time of 11:30 am. “When exactly?” he asked quietly, still tired and aching.

            “By 3:00,” the nurse answered. “We just want to make sure anything is in order, and there’s truly nothing wrong. I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience for you.”

            “It’s not your fault.” Wonsik was left alone to lay in the hospital bed which gave him time to run over the night’s ordeal again. He could remember everything in vivid images. He could still remember Taekwoon’s hesitation when told to stab Hakyeon. The hunter could remember the vampire goading his friend along, and even then Taekwoon could not do it. _I should have seen it. The way they talked to each other._ Wonsik’s bitter mind started running thoughts through his head, and it was not saying nice things. _Fucking traitors,_ he thought. _Sanghyuk, Taekwoon. They weren’t strong enough to stand against the leeches. They never were._ He closed his eyes and sunk into his thoughts. _I have to wait to leave, but when I do, I will have to end this fucking mess._

            Taekwoon lay on the luxurious bed and felt the lull of sleep beckon to him. The hunter fought that very pull only because he felt vulnerable being in the presence of so many vampires. The absence of his weapons only amplified his vulnerability. The door opened, and Taekwoon startled at the sudden noise.

            “Sorry,” Hakyeon whispered. He came forward without a noise and brought up a chair. “Okay,” he huffed as he set the chair down. “Time to keep my promise. Do you know why I grew attached to you?”

            Taekwoon shook his head.

            “I have lived for a long time. I have tried to form relationships with vampires, but most were only interested in the hunt,” Hakyeon continued. “Humans would not do as I had to keep up a believable façade of being alive. Hunters…well, you know the issue with that.”

            Taekwoon let a small smile grace his lips, but only for a moment.

            “When I was held by you guys, it fell to you to care for me and keep me alive. I should admit that I hated you at first. However, you did not shy away from me like others did. My stories fascinated you, and even offered your blood. You were different from other hunters; you could see past my vampire nature.”

            Feeling uncomfortable with eye contact, Taekwoon looked to the ornate bookshelf on the other side of the room.

            “What about you?”

            Taekwoon looked at the vampire. “What?”

            Hakyeon smiled. “Why did you fall for me?” He laughed. “Please. I can tell you did.”

            Finally, Taekwoon sat up. “For the same reason you fell for me. You weren’t like other vampires. Others would have killed me the first chance they got, but you? You didn’t and told stories. You have shattered all stereotypes I know of vampires.”

            Hakyeon smiled and let his fangs drop.

            “Almost all of them,” Taekwoon added. He was about to say something else, but a yawn stopped his voice in his throat.

            The vampire stood up, unable to look away from the hunter’s throat.

            “I know…that look,” Taekwoon said through the yawn. He lowered his shirt collar to allow for better access. “I don’t mind,” he breathed. “Drink your fill. I’m going to go to bed soon anyway.”

            Hakyeon did not need to be told twice. With a growl, he crawled forward on the bed and licked a small trail up the hunter’s neck, feeling for that pulse. Eyes flashing familiar purple, he sunk his teeth into Taekwoon’s neck. The little gasp that Taekwoon let out only sweetened Hakyeon’s bloody drink.

            The Friday evening was abuzz with everyone from workers going home to party-goers going out. Many people went out for dinner, happy to get away from cooking and dirty dishes.

            The restaurant, Roman Garden, was no exception. People in formal clothing filled the tables as classic music lent itself to the atmosphere.

            “I thought you couldn’t afford such a place,” Wonsik wondered out loud.

            Namjoon raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you can afford that suit.”

            “It’s a rental,” Wonsik retorted. “Down to business.”

            Namjoon nodded his agreement. “Help. I have told you numerous times that I cannot lend you a sigil drawer. I-”

            “I no longer want a sigil drawer,” Wonsik interrupted. “I just want to give you a proposition. I need your help finishing off the vampires that have been causing me so much trouble.”

            The other hunter was not biting. “A blind siege of a vampire nest? That doesn’t sound like my kind of weekend. Something tells me that these vampires are smarter than your run of the mill leech.”  He cared for his friends, and putting them in danger like this was something he wanted to avoid. Despite this thought, he had fantasized about stabbing the vampire responsible for attacking Seokjin. “Why are you suddenly interested in just wiping them out?”

            Wonsik took a swig of wine. “They will come back for me, and they will make sure I’m dead this time. I haven’t been giving them an easy time at Seoul.”

            “I think that’s your fault entirely. This is your mess, Wonsik. You should clean it up yourself,” Namjoon noted as he sawed through his ribeye.

            Nodding, Wonsik said, “I know that. I am going to clean it up. I am going to fix this, but I cannot do it all by myself.” He hated admitting such weakness, but it was a necessary thing for him to win over Namjoon and his hunting party. “If you help me with this, I will be out of Busan, out of your hair.”

            Namjoon chewed his food pensively. “You have thirty minutes to convince me to help you,” he said finally, reaching for the wine glass again, “starting now.”

**Another chapter of setting the stage out of the way! I hope you all enjoyed this one as much as I did writing it. I can’t say thank you enough, so I’ll stop now. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	17. A Buildup of Problems

**Here is the next chapter, and I do apologize for the delay. I have the normal excuse of artist’s block, but I recently got a new computer that would not allow me to use Word until I pay for the whole thing. Being the “intelligent person” that I am, I could not think of what to do until I remembered that my old laptop worked just fine. It also had word. So, once again, so sorry. Here we go!**

Taekwoon was sound asleep as the sun rose the next day.

            Hakyeon stood in the corner and watched Taekwoon snooze, wishing he too could experience the pleasure of oblivion. Taking a deep breath, he let Taekwoon’s scent wash over him, calming him to the closest he could get to sleep.

            “Stop being such a creep.”

            Hakyeon chuckled.

            Jaehwan slipped through the door and tugged on the other’s sleeve. “We need to talk,” he insisted. “It’s about Hongbin.”

            Begrudgingly, Hakyeon obeyed, leaving without making a noise. “He can hear you,” he groaned, not understanding why Jaehwan was whispering.

            Shaking his head, Jaehwan said that Hongbin was away on a hunt with Sanghyuk, further explaining the problem. “They’re jealous,” he warned. “Taekwoon’s blood smells…enticing.” His gaze wandered to the door leading to the room where the human slept. “How long will you be able to keep Hongbin away?”

            “I thought I had to worry about all of you,” Hakyeon responded jokingly. “Hongbin will be easy to deal with.” He made his way to the library. “Come. We can talk there.”

            Jaehwan rushed in front of his friend. “No. We’ll talk right here.”

            Confused but wary, Hakyeon dropped his fangs instinctively. “Why are you so worked up about this?” he asked calmly. He had not gotten farther than a few feet from the door.

            Running his hands through blond hair, Jaehwan said, “I went out for my hunt last night after everything went to shit and already saw other vampires gathering outside. They can smell your human,” he hissed. “One even told me she was willing to pay for the blood.”

            Hearing this, Hakyeon’s eyes blazed in possessive anger. “And you said?” he prompted, barely able to keep his voice free from rage.

            “I refused, of course,” Jaehwan replied with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t you see why he,” he gestured urgently to the bedroom, “can’t stay here?”

            Sighing, Hakyeon said, “it’s been less than a day, Jaehwan. Give him a chance.”  He brushed passed Jaehwan, not wanting to continue this aggravating conversation.

            However, Jaehwan persisted. “We can’t keep him here.”

            “Then where is he supposed to stay?” Hakyeon whirled around and faced the annoying vampire. “Where? Are we to just throw him out into the streets without anything to defend himself with?”

            “He will have whatever he needs to kill those who come after him.”

            “Jaehwan, you need to stop right now,” Hakyeon warned.

            Dropping his fangs, Jaehwan snarled. “I warned you. Hongbin might be less kind.” With that, he headed for the door. “I’m hungry,” he complained bitterly. “Enjoy your meal.” In a blur, he was gone.

            Finally alone, Hakyeon flew to Taekwoon’s room. He needed to calm down, but he also wanted to see his love again. Pushing the door open, Hakyeon almost immediately relaxed when the scent flew through his nose again. He ghosted over the floor and sat on the edge of the bed gingerly.

            Taekwoon felt the bed dip, indicating a weight, and he opened his eyes. “Hello?” he called, voice hoarse from sleep. “Who is it?”

            “Shhh,” Hakyeon soothed. “It’s just me. Did I wake you?”

            “Don’t worry about it,” the hunter said. “I have to get up anyway. What time is it?”

            Hakyeon glanced at the clock. “Eleven-thirty.”

            Taekwoon let out a groan. “Shit. I shouldn’t have slept so late.” He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The events of last night flooded his mind as he did so, reminding him that all was not right with the world. “Is Wonsik all right? Where are the others? Were the police called? Did anyone else get hurt?”

            “Slow down,” Hakyeon laughed. “Wonsik is fine. I didn’t hurt him, and the others are off hunting.”

            That made Taekwoon marginally better. “What’s going to happen to me now?” he mumbled. He had no home to go to, no safehouse to hide away in. He knew that if Wonsik was not dead, he would be back to end whatever this was.

            Sensing the hunter’s sadness, Hakyeon shifted closer to him. “What’s wrong?”

            “We can’t stay here,” Taekwoon whispered. “We have to go.”

            Hakyeon’s heart sank. No happy conversations today. “What do you mean?”

            Taekwoon shifted uncomfortably under the vampire’s heated gaze. “What do you mean?” He asked the question, not out of genuine misunderstanding, but because he wanted to confirm his fears.

            “Wonsik will find out where this place is, and he will bring an army,” Taekwoon warned, slightly hurt when Hakyeon got up and headed to the door. “Hey, are you okay?”

            Nodding, the vampire smiled sadly. “I have a lot to worry about, Taekwoon. If what you say is true, it only adds onto the pile of shit that’s been building up.”

            Getting out of bed, Taekwoon padded over and laid a comforting hand on Hakyeon’s shoulder. “What’s on your mind?” His voice was gentle and caring. “I’ll help you, whatever it is.”

            It was enough to make Hakyeon feel better. Marginally. “I’ve been told that…your presence here is dangerous. Not only is Hongbin wanting to suck you dry, but every vampire in Seoul wants a taste too. Now you’re telling me that your buddy is out to wipe out this coven?” He wanted to cry out in frustration, but how would that look to Taekwoon?

            “All this shit,” Taekwoon finally said, “will be dealt with in the end, Hakyeon. You’ve survived for this long; why should some hungry vampires and angry humans be your death?” He had to reason with Hakyeon before the vampire made a rash decision. “Calm down.”

            Hakyeon did not realize that he was seething just thinking about everything that was happening.

            The two just stood there as the morning light spilled through the curtains, reassuring each other that everything would be okay.

            The door opened with a bang, startling Seokjin out of his seat. “Namjoon!” he yelled. “What did I tell you about abusing the door?” He fell silent as he saw Wonsik trailing behind Namjoon. “Who is this?” he asked, reigning in his anger.

            “Wonsik,” Namjoon said quickly. He was angry, to say more or less, and his voice reflected that. “Hoseok! Get over here!”

            From the kitchen, an annoyed, “be right there,” wavered through the air.

            Hoseok shuffled in, obviously tired. “What is it?” He had not noticed the newcomer in the room.

            Yoongi followed him, glancing at Wonsik before asking, “what do you want?”

            Namjoon refused to reveal anything besides Wonisk’s name before everyone was gathered in the small living room. “Is everyone here?”

            Jin nodded towards the bedroom. “Jungkook and Jimin haven’t woken up yet.”

            “It’s fucking 1 in the afternoon,” Namjoon groaned. “What is it with those two?”

            “The hunt last night was hard,” Yoongi complained as he was pushed aside.

            Banging his fist against the door, Namjoon called for the two to come out. “We don’t have time for you guys today! Get up!”

            Seokjin frowned, slightly taken back by Namjoon’s abrasive attitude. “What’s wrong with you today?”

            As Jungkook and Jimin stumbled out of the room, Namjoon shrugged. “This guy has a proposition for us all that I am not too keen on, but it’s for the ‘greater good’. Listen.”

            Now that all the attention was on him, Wonsik swallowed. He was never good at public speaking. “Well,” he muttered, “there is a dominant coven in Seoul, and I need help killing it.”

            Namjoon rolled his eyes. “What he is leaving out is that both members of his clan sided with the leeches in less than a month of interacting with them. Sanghyuk actually became a fucking vampire while Taekwoon…I don’t know…eloped with the coven’s fucking leader.”

            Astonished eyes turned to Wonsik.

            In return, Wonsik threw a furious glare at Namjoon. “Who told you that?!” Being the leader of his own hunting clan, having it fall apart like that was a blow to his pride.

            “Word gets around,” Namjoon replied. “You’ve convinced me to help you out.” He nodded to his clan. “Now convince them.”

            Taking a deep breath, Wonsik did just that. “While it is true that my clan sided with them, that doesn’t mean I did. This coven has been responsible for a steady stream of ‘unexplained’ deaths in Seoul, and now that they have another member, it will only rise.

            “I intend to stop it, but I need help. My sigil drawer and partner are gone, and I think they are planning to attack me sooner rather than later. If you guys help me, I can kill two birds with one stone. We could destroy the biggest coven in Seoul, and I can get my friends back.”

            Jimin felt Jungkook’s head on his shoulder as the younger one slipped back to sleep. He threw up his hand. “The only good thing I see from this is saving your bacon. Why us?”

            Wonsik turned to Jimin. “You’re the greatest, and nearest, hunter clan in Busan,” he explained. “I don’t usually like asking for help, but I’m backed into a corner here. I caused I big mess, I know. Please help me fix this.”

            “We could die,” Seokjin said urgently. He was not for this plan at all. “If not all of us, one of us, and that is too much for me.” He had formed an almost maternal instinct for the clan after being with them for so long. “Namjoon, you can’t allow this. He’s only trying to save himself.”

            Yoongi nodded in agreement. “What is in it for us?”

            With all these questions and speculations flying, Wonsik realized it was going to be hard to convince the Bangtan clan to help him. He had to try thought. His life depended on it.

 

**So, sorry for the weak ending. I was running out of steam, and I did not know how to end it, but I did not want to drag it out. Thank you, everyone who reads this! Sorry for the delay, once again. Also, thanks for those who are sticking with me. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	18. A Problem

**Hello, everyone! I’m back, and I apologize for the long delay. School started up for me, and I got a new laptop, but you don’t want to hear my excuses. You want the story! Well, here we go!**

Hakyeon snarled, and his eyes flashed as the vampire paced around the entrance to his house. He kept himself framed in the doorway, not willing to let anyone through. “I’m asking you to leave,” he warned.

             The vampire smiled, revealing his fangs. “You could try asking politely.”

             “Believe me, this is politely.”

             “I am so hungry, and I can smell the human you keep locked in there.” The vampire gestured to the house.

             Hakyeon, upon hearing the other mention Taekwoon, bristled in irritation and leaned forward. “Leave before I come up with another method of persuasion, Lee.” He knew the vampire from years back, having fought him for territory around the city.

             Lee, undaunted by the threat, only stepped closer.

             Hakyeon did not hesitate and stepped completely outside, closing the door behind him.

             Jaehwan watched from the window apprehensively. “Be careful, Hakyeon,” he whispered.

             Hakyeon’s purple eyes bored into his adversary’s. “I won’t ask again.”

             The vampire surged forward with an animalistic growl, hell bent on forcing his way through to the tantalizing blood inside.

             Hakyeon was faster though, and he grabbed onto Lee and swung him into the ground with little effort. “I’m stronger than you,” he hissed. “You should have learned that by now. I’m holding back!”

             Lee was not the brightest thing on Earth and decided to try again. His hunger had driven him to a point of insane desperation; the competition with Hakyeon’s coven was not easy on his own. “I must eat!”

             Seeing that his opponent was not backing down, Hakyeon roared in fury, meeting his enemy head on. Using his superior strength, he rained a blur of punches down on Lee with no intention of holding back.

             Lee took the punches without batting an eye and raked his fingernails across Hakyeon’s face, laughing gleefully as he felt them remove flesh.

             Crying out in agony, Hakyeon reeled back, eyes never leaving the threat.

             From inside, Taekwoon was busy washing his dishes when he heard a pained roar. Immediately concerned, he dropped the plate and ran to the door where he saw Jaehwan. “What’s happening?” he asked quickly.

             Jaehwan was too engrossed in the fight to answer, and his hand twitched around the doorknob. He had been told to stay inside and guard Taekwoon, but if Hakyeon could not beat Lee alone, Jaehwan would not hesitate to assist.

             Sanghyuk was watching from upstairs. “Don’t go out there, Jaehwan!” he shouted.

             Taekwoon saw the gash on Hakyeon’s face and gasped in horror. He instinctively reached for the doorknob, but a hand stopped him midway. Turning, the human saw Sanghyuk’s warning eyes staring right back at his.

             “Hakyeon will be fine,” Jaehwan insisted. “He’s fought Lee before.” His voice, however, betrayed his confident demeanor.

             Taekwoon tried to shake the vampire off of him, but he knew it would be no use; Sanghyuk was now a million times stronger than he could ever hope to be.

             Hakyeon stood his ground in front of his home as he watched Lee pace about. He could fill the incessant sting from his wound on his face, but that was nothing compared to the rage he felt. How dare this old nuisance trespass on his territory and threaten his peaceful life. The fact that Lee intended to take Taekwoon was enough to tip Hakyeon over the edge, but add the extra threat to his other coven members, and he was unstoppable.

             Lee charged one more time, and this time he was not holding back.

             Hakyeon rushed at him again, teeth bared in an ugly roar. He leapt at the last moment and punched Lee right in the face with everything he had, sending the other vampire skidding for a considerable length on the pavement. Wasting no time, he grabbed Lee by the throat and lifted him up before throwing him into the ground at full force.

             The resulting cracking sound was sickening as the bones broke under the sheer force of the impact.

             Lee’s scream of utter torture was inhuman, sputtering into a pathetic cacophony of whimpers, groans, and cries. He tried to pick himself up, but it was too painful to move.

             Hakyeon watched Lee writhe for a few moments before turning his attention past the road to the trees. “I can smell your other coven members,” he spat. “They reek of desperation. I would hate to deprive them of their leader, no matter how incompetent he may be.” He spat out a small bit of blood. “Now go before I change my mind.”

             With a herculean effort, Lee got up and staggered towards Hakyeon. He reached forward, eyes burning with a hatred bottled up for decades. “Ha…kyeo…n,” he rasped bitterly. With a scream, he rushed forward one last time, using the pain and anger to fuel his assault.

             “Oh, very well,” Hakyeon sighed. He was sick of this, but he had to end it soon for he felt his own pain getting worse. It did not take much effort to grab a hold of Lee. Eyes blazing purple, Hakyeon ripped Lee’s head right off. He watched the body go limp and dropped it, seething angrily. “Taekwoon is mine,” he spat vehemently. Turning to the trees, he snarled. “He’s mine.” Without another thought, he took the body and headed in, slamming the door shut.

             Jaehwan watched the line of trees move as the rival coven slunk off. “What are we going to do now?”

             “We’ll get rid of the body tonight,” Hakyeon replied bluntly.

             Taekwoon ran up to the vampire and saw the gash up close, almost retching from the sight of it. “Come on,” he insisted. “We need to get that bandaged up.”

             Hakyeon scoffed. “No need. Just give me some of your blood. It’ll heal faster.”

             Taekwoon offered his neck quickly. “Tuck in. Take as much as you want.”

             “I don’t want to kill you,” the vampire replied jokingly, though he was grateful for the supply. “The wrist will do.” He took Taekwoon’s wrist gently and licked a small line around the bite area. He bit in and relished the blood that flowed down his throat. He could instantly feel his skin knitting together again, along with his strength returning to his muscles. “Thank you,” he breathed. “Thank you.”

             Taekwoon smiled and nodded. His mind was, like every time, blurred slightly by the sensation of his blood leaving his body.

             Across the road and down the street, Taehyung lowered his binoculars slowly, somewhat worried about what he had just witnessed. He had heard about the powerful vampire coven in Seoul, but he did not believe how powerful Hakyeon was until he saw it himself. The young man was in awe at the raw brutality displayed in the fight he had just witnessed, and he was now uncertain about the alliance his clan just formed with the lone hunter. He dialed the phone quickly. “Namjoon,” he greeted. “We have a slight problem.”

**So sorry once again! I hope you all enjoyed this, and I thank you all for sticking with me! Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	19. Author's Note

Hello everyone. It is I, ThePoisonPen. I am just writing this little author’s note to update you guys on what is happening. I have recently been in school, and I am having trouble finding time for fanfictions. Also, I am losing a lot of steam for this story, and it is stressing me out. I feel like I must get another chapter out in order to please everyone, but I do not one to put out a shit chapter. I am taking a break on this story as well as my other story on EXO until I can figure out where I want to take it. I will also be taking a break with RPF.

I have also become aware to backlash of RPF that I was not aware of in the past. I am curious what all of your thoughts are about the subject in general. Is it good, is it bad?

Please forgive me for updating like this. I am sorry for all of you waiting, but I hope you can understand my reasons.

Thank you everyone.

Sincerely,

ThePoisonPen


	20. A Revelation

**Hello, everyone! It has been quite a while since my last update, and I am especially grateful of all the patience you guys have. Thank you. I have had a small breakthrough that got another chapter up, so I do hope you like it! Here we go!**

Hoseok dropped his wooden sigil on the ground with a dejected sigh.

             It was the seventeenth sigil to fail on the drawer, not holding back the target.

             Jimin could feel his friend’s frustration as he shook off the weak energy touching the barrier left on his hands. Picking up the rejected panel, he glanced up at Hoseok. “Take a break,” he suggested after noticing the state of his friend.

             The sigil drawer was sweating from the energy and concentration he was dedicating to his work, and he looked as weak as a baby. Shaking his head, he stood shakily. “I can’t sleep these days. I have to get better at this.” With a frustrated sigh, he motioned to the pile of wood in the corner. “If I can’t keep you at bay, how will I keep a vampire?” He seemed on the verge of frustrated tears.

             Jimin lowered his gaze uncomfortably; he never knew what to do if his hyungs cried. “Come on, Hoseok. All you need is some food and sleep.”

             “I’m useless!” Hoseok wailed. “Useless! I can’t help you, I can’t help them!”

             Jimin grabbed his friend by the shoulders and held him still. “Hyung! Please take a second and think! You are our only sigil drawer for miles around, and you have no idea how valuable that makes you!”

             Hoseok stared back in stunned silence.

             “You can hold any vampire you want back, Hoseok. You know that! You’ve run yourself ragged, that’s all.” He shoved Hoseok out of the small training room. “Out, out,” he insisted like an annoyed mother. “Go eat and sleep before even thinking of trying again.”

             Hoseok almost tripped over himself as he was pushed on.

             Jimin stopped shoving at the kitchen table, finally taking his hands off Hoseok. “Do what I say, and I’ll let you practice with me tonight.”

             Hoseok glanced at the clock. “Is it the next day?” He seemed confused by the sunlight.

             “Noon the next day,” Jimin replied softly. “I’ll see you tonight. Jungkook told me we were out of soda.” He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

             Alone in the kitchen, Hoseok opened the refrigerator with some annoyance. He did not feel particularly hungry at the moment, but he owed it to Jimin to eat something. With his mind off sigil work, he realized how tired he was, and he almost fell asleep at the table.

             The hours ticked by slowly as the hunters moved about to plan, prepare, and contemplate just how smart their idea to help Wonsik was.

             Wonsik did what he could to help the troubled clan out. He understood their concern; he was worried himself.

             Hakyeon’s savage display was not to be taken lightly. The vampire’s human was threatened. One could only imagine what he was like when his life and coven was threatened.

             Wonsik had taken up residence with the hunting clan, and he took his share of chores without a lot of trouble. He was not stupid; he was not going back to his own apartment now that he was completely alone. He knew that hunters’ safety lay in numbers. During the day, he kept to himself, preparing bullets and making sure his guns were cleaned.

             Namjoon kept his eye on the temporary member of his hunting clan. At one point, he pulled the taller man aside. He smiled, though his eyes were throwing daggers at Wonsik. “Can you tell me why you failed to tell me just how strong this coven was?”

             “Do you think I’m leading you into a trap?” Wonsik replied coolly, staring back calmly. “I had no idea what Hakyeon could do when pressed. I only saw him under the influence of Sanghyuk’s sigils and when he was attacking me, a human.” He took a step closer. “I had no way of knowing.”

             “And the coven?” Namjoon refused to move.

             “Like I said, I don’t know the extent of their power because I am human!”

             Namjoon sighed and pushed passed Wonsik. He still had a lot of planning to do in order to make sure nothing went wrong. He could not think of losing just one of his members.

             Seokjin stopped Wonsik on his way to the bedroom. “Don’t hate Namjoon,” he said. “He’s just under a lot of pressure about the coven.”

             “You don’t need to defend him,” Wonsik replied tiredly. “I understand.”

             The night was young when Jimin approached Hoseok’s room. Knocking softly, he let himself in and snuck over, hoping not to wake Taehyung. “Hey,” he whispered, shaking the drawer gently. “You can practice now. Come on.”

             Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Hoseok sat up. “Not here,” he whispered back. “We’ll wake the entire house up. We have to go to the woods.”

             Nodding, Jimin followed his hyung, and the two slipped out and headed to the forest. They would practice here if they needed to be discreet, and nighttime was one of those times.

             Hoseok did feel more energized now as he took out some wood panels. “We can practice just getting my sigils up to par, and then we can try with you moving.” The notion of movement scared Hoseok because he remembered how fast vampires moved and how hard it was for them to get pinned by a sigil. Surprise was always better than ambush, but the hunter did not know how long the element would remain.

             “Yah!” Jimin called. “Stop thinking so much. Come on.”

             Quick as a flash, Hoseok carved out a caging sigil and threw it at Jimin’s feet. “Okay,” he breathed. “Go ahead.”

             Always hesitant, Jimin eventually plucked up the courage to tap the crackling boundary of red light. He winced as he received an electric shock, shaking out the tingles with a smile. He was happy that he was going to have to try harder to break the sigil’s power; it meant his hyung had rested.

             “A little harder,” Hoseok said over the crackle. “It won’t hurt that much.” He was still concentrating on building up the symbol’s power.

             “If you insist,” Jimin laughed. He drew back his fist and punched the wall with everything he had, pitching forward when the light shattered with a bang.

             Hoseok jerked back as his concentration was shattered just like the wall, stumbling to regain his footing.

             Picking himself off the ground and dusting off the dirt, Jimin glanced sheepishly at Hoseok. “Sorry,” he tried quietly.

             “No, no,” Hoseok said as he shook his head. “This is good. I got better.” He took out another wood panel and carved another sigil. “Try again.”

             As the red light shot high above him, Jimin drew back his fist and punched the wall again.

             With a frustrated cry from Hoseok, the wall broke more easily.

             “Don’t get frustrated,” Jimin warned, clutching his aching fist. “It’ll just be easier for me to break it.”

             Wordlessly, Hoseok activated a new one, almost screaming in anger when Jimin broke that one by merely flicking it. The drawer drew his fingers through his hair and paced. “What am I doing wrong?” he wondered out loud.

             Jimin rolled his eyes. “You’re doubting yourself,” he answered the rhetorical question. When he got an angered glare from Hoseok, he held up his hands. “You said it yourself: the energy you carry carries on in your sigils.” He leaned against a tree and gestured towards Hoseok. “If you carry an energy of uncertainty and doubt, then your sigils will be unstable and unreliable.”

             Hoseok let his anger go. He hated to admit it, but the younger hunter was right. He carved another sigil, drew in a deep breath, and threw it down at Jimin’s feet.

             Jimin punched the wall again, satisfied to see a crack appear. “Come on, hyung,” he whispered quietly. “Don’t let me get to you.”

             The crack vanished, and Hoseok directed all his energy into the sigil.

             Jimin realized that he would have to try harder if he wanted to get out on his own. He threw all his weight into the next punch, expecting the energy to break.

             It did not, and Hoseok grunted from the effort.

             Every physical attack from Jimin was energy from that hunter, and it was battling against Hoseok’s energy in a bid for freedom. Hoseok felt every attack of energy in his brain, and that would translate in an immense pressure on his mind.

             Jimin threw his body against the wall, amazed that it did not crack. He kicked and punched, ran into and pushed against, but the wall did not fracture. He finally settled on pushing up against the wall and imagining shoving a book shelf to the side.

             The constant pressure built up in Hoseok’s mind, and the drawer kept his own energy focused on keeping Jimin in. He almost whimpered as the pressure increased, giving him a massive migraine. He had to direct that energy somewhere else before it got too much.

             Jimin just kept pushing, sweating from the effort.

             With a roar, Hoseok released his pent-up energy and caused the sigil to explode, sending Jimin flying.

             In Seoul, Sanghyuk stiffened from the desk in the study and looked around in shock. He should not have been able to feel that. Being a former drawer himself, he could sense the energy that was released just then, and it confused him. He was not supposed to be able to feel that burst of energy, having ceased being human. He thought that energy was blocked off. In a blur of motion, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen, headed back to his room, and opened his closet to reveal his old drawer’s bag. He grabbed his old knife and wood panels before heading back to the study, hardly able to contain his excitement. He calmed his shaking hands and carved a caging sigil. With a deep breath, he threw it to the ground and waited.

             He did not have to wait long before the sigil sparked to life, shooting up a crackling wall of black energy.

             The vampire gasped in surprise as he threw himself back. “Wha?” he breathed. He had no idea he could work sigils. He thought he was useless all this time, and now he was staring at his own sigil working. He could feel the power radiating off the walls, and he laughed with ecstatic revelation, running around and placing his hand on the light. “I…I can be useful again,” he breathed. “I can be useful!” He was so surprised and excited that he failed to notice the figure framed by the doorway.

             Glaring and filled with worry, Hongbin ran off in a blur, searching for Jaehwan. Following the scent, he eventually found the other vampire disposing of the body. “Jaehwan,” he hissed.

             Looking behind him, Jaehwan smiled. “I didn’t think you were one to follow me,” he laughed.

             “Your fledgling just found out the truth.”

             Jaehwan’s smile fell as he realized what that meant. “I’ll talk to him, Hongbin,” he promised. “You don’t have to do anything rash.”

             Hongbin rolled his eyes. “Do so,” he ordered bluntly before heading back to the house.

             Jaehwan watched his coven member go, worry for his fledgling etched upon his face.

**So that was the chapter! I hope the cliffhanger was good, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Once again, I want to thank everyone who understands my writing blocks and stuck with me. I really hope I can provide another chapter soon. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	21. A New Trump Card

**Hello, dear readers! I have been on vacation for a while, and I am sorry for the delay in updating. With tests at the end of collage, and lack of Wi-Fi, I could not get an update in. However, I was able to write down this chapter over break! I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for sticking with me despite my wacky update schedule! Here we go!**

Wonsik watched the hunting group as they waited for the vampires.

             Hoseok and Yoongi had set up blood bags in a crude pile, amassing a smell akin to a small group of people, hoping to attract their targets.

             Jungkook thumbed the safety on his gun nervously, not relaxing when Jimin laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

             Namjoon jumped down to where Hoseok was standing and asked him how things were.

             “Sigils have been set,” the drawer reported a little too quickly, thanks to his nerves. “I think they thought they would’ve come by now.” He looked down to the pile of blood bags. “What’s wrong?”

             “Keep your wits about you, Hoseok,” Namjoon more warned than reassured. “We need your help tonight. Be patient. It’s just like baiting any other predator; they need to catch whiff of it first.”

             Seokjin watched from Namjoon’s side, nervously twiddling his knife.

             From the coven’s house, Jaehwan and Sanghyuk threw on some jackets for the windy night.

             Jaehwan insisted that the fledgling accompany him to practice tracking prey, and what better night than windy nights?

             Wind carried blood scents far, and tracking could be very difficult. If the vampire was too late, then the scent would be close to unreliable. It was a test even for experienced vampires.

             Jaehwan shoved Sanghyuk out the door. “Enough of your bitching,” he groaned, laughing as Sanghyuk only complained louder.

             The two zipped up and hurried off, noses already analyzing the air.

             Taekwoon smiled as he watched them depart. Recent events left little room for moments of laughter. He had another pinch of noodles he made to treat himself that night.

             Hakyeon sat down at the table and felt his stomach call for blood. Leaning forward, he smiled and dropped his fangs. “When can I eat?” he asked, trying for a cheeky attitude and failing miserably.

             Chocking on his noodles from laughter, Taekwoon took a few moments to finish his bite, listening to Hakyeon laughing as well. “When I’m done,” he finally managed to say, voice a little rough from coughing. “When I’m done, I promise.”

             The wind whipped Sanghyuk’s face mercilessly as he jumped silently from roof top to roof top. He could not smell a thing thanks to the weather.

             Jaehwan, if his mutterings were any clue, was able to smell everything. “Too old…too young…too salty…way to sweet…” It was a testament to how strong his kind’s sense of smell was.  He kept sniffing, suddenly picking up a strong and beautiful scent. He skidded to a halt, sending no warning to Sanghyuk.

             The fledgling almost tripped over himself trying to stop. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he rushed back.

             “Fresh blood,” Jaehwan answered. “And a lot of it…a lot…”

             “Should we check it out?”

             Jaehwan’s mind and body were preparing for the potential hunt. His mind almost failed to hear the question. “Yeah,” he responded softly as he headed towards the alluring scent.

             Jungkook glanced at the pile of blood bags and scoffed. “What idiot would fall for this?” he asked as he kicked a stray bag back to the pile. “I mean, a pile of blood just sitting in the alley?”

             Jimin was looking up at the stars, trying to count them. “Well, it’s only to attract the vampires, you know. As soon as they’re within the sigil’s boundary, they’ll forget all about them. Isn’t that right, Hoseok?”

             Hoseok nodded as he kept running and checking the sigils, wanting to make sure there was nothing wrong.

             Seokjin was right beside him, double checking his work and reassuring Hoseok that everything was foolproof. “You’ve done all you could for now, Hoseok,” he said. “Now get ready for what’s to come. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.”

             Wonsik finally arrived, stepping out of his borrowed pick-up truck and grabbing his shotgun. He nodded to the others before joining Namjoon. “How is everything?” he asked.

             Namjoon caught the temporary colleague up to speed, showing him the sigils all laid out and what they planned to do with them. “Are you prepared?”

             Wonsik nodded. “All except for my shotgun shells,” he said. “I forgot to have them blessed, but those are just a back up.”

             Namjoon promised that his clan would protect him as Wonsik sat beside him to wait.

             Sanghyuk followed his sire across the roof as the smell kept getting stronger. The fledgling couold smell the blood now, and it did smell really appetizing. Despite the promise of a feast, something felt off to him.

Jaehwan was excited. He was beyond excited and smelled only the blood. He had not eaten in several days, and he was prepared for a feast. Damn his opportunistic instincts.

Sanghyuk suddenly felt a wave of energy, all of it concentrated and ready to snap. He could tell that the owner was nervous as the energy was flickering and unstable. “Something’s wrong!” he called out to Jaehwan.

Jaehwan had trouble hearing his fledgling over the winds, and he dove into the center of the blood scent, inches from the blood bags. As he caught his breath, he turned to see the strange sight before him. He could not remember passing an ambulance that would have contained them.

Namjoon stood from the fire escape. “Hoseok!” he cried. “Now!”

Not skipping a beat, the sigil drawer cut his hand and activated the chain. He watched with happiness when his sigils sparked to life one after the other. He whooped a cry of victory as they held fast before leaping down to join his friends.

As the sigils crackled around him, Jaehwan spun around to find Sanghyuk. “They’ve set a trap!” he screamed into the night, hoping the fledgling could hear. He dropped his fangs and snarled with his eyes flashing a warning. Internally, he was terrified. _This is what Hakyeon must’ve felt like,_ he thought bitterly. He kept his eyes on the humans, ready to fighteven though he was trapped. He noticed the lack of weakening sigils; there were slowing sigils present, so why was he not being sapped of strengthened?

From the roof top, Sanghyuk watched fearfully. He wanted to run and grab the others, but he could not leave Jaehwan. He had to make a decision fast, as the hunters were closing in.

Wonsik unsheathed his large hunting knife and sharpened it as he got closer, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Jaehwan snarled and paced like a caged animal. “What do I do?” he whispered to himself. He could see the others drop down and walk to the boundary. He eyed the shotgun and decided to choose his actions carefully. Retracting his fangs, he stepped back and feigned calm. “Is he going to shoot me?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Jungkook raised his gun like the other hunters and stepped gingerly into the trap. He trusted his blessed bullets if things went awry.

Jaehwan backed away a bit, eyeing the gun.

“We want to ask you a few questions,” Jungkook said slowly.

“If you get your answer, will you let me go?” Jaehwan asked a little too quickly.

Jungkook hesitated because he did not receive a clear answer from Wonsik or Namjoon.

Jaehwan nodded at the silence and stepped forward. “Then I guess I’ll have to fight for my life.” He knew he would not be able to move at full speed, but he would try. He was always faster than normal, even for a human. He guessed none of the hunters would shoot through their beloved friend, and so planned his attack around that.

Hoseok kept focusing his energy into the column of energy keeping the vampire at bay.

Taehyung clutched blessed throwing knives, ready at a moment’s notice.

Time seemed to slow to a stand-still, each person waiting for another to make a move.

Jaehwan, impatient as ever, surged forward and caught his enemy off guard. He flung the gun out of Jungkook’s hand and grabbed the youngster’s wrist to drag him closer.

Jungkook’s instincts took in, and he turned to run, only to have himself stopped by Jaehwan’s strength. The next thing he knew was his arm had been twisted behind his back. To make matters worse, his arm was being forced ever so slowly up his back, and the pressure only stopped when he let out a pained gasp.

Wonsik would have pulled the trigger if Namjoon had not forced him to lower the shotgun. _Fine,_ he thought. _But if this doesn’t resolve itself, I’ll put the vampire down regardless of who’s in front._

Jaehwan combed his fingers through Jungkook’s hair with his free hand, clutched a good amount of those black locks, and wrenched Jungkook’s head to the side, exposing the hunter’s neck. It was exciting; he could hear the heart pumping faster.

Cursing, Jimin started circling the barrier as he looked for a shot where the bullet didn’t have to go through Jungkook. “Taehyung!”

The other hunter did the same, watching carefully. He knew Jaehwan could not defend himself with two people circling him. All Taehyung had to do was watch and wait.

Hoseok reached for his energy reserves to activate an excruciating sigil, one that would force Jaehwan to let go of his fellow hunter. He had little training with using other sigils during a chain activation, so his focus almost snapped all together.

“Let him go!” Jimin finally shattered the tense silence. “I’ll give you a quicker death if you do.”

Jaehwan laughed sardonically. “Lies.” He licked a trail along Jungkook’s neck. “I can bleed him dry if you want. You’ll be able to watch too!” He heard Seokjin and Hoseok cock their guns, and he snarled at them. “I’ll be able to drain this boy faster than either of you could get a bullet in me.”

“Do that, and you lose your leverage,” Jungkook hissed back, voice a little rough from the angle he was forced in. He tried squirming and even elbowed the vampire in the gut. All that did was get his arm wrenched further up.

“Behave,” Jaehwan growled as he kept his eyes on the hunters.

Taehyung saw an opportunity and took it, hurling a knife right at Jaehwan’s back with an angry cry.

The vampire was fast though, and he turned just in time, making sure the knife buried into Jungkook’s shoulder as he went.

Jimin fired a shot that ripped right through the blood sucker’s exposed thigh.

Jaehwan screamed and let go against his will, hands moving instinctively to cover his wound, his vulnerability.

As soon as Jungkook felt his arm being released, he threw himself forward, grabbed his own gun, and shot the other leg.

Jaehwan crumpled as the wounds started burning as the blessed silver reacted with his body. He winced as the sensation grew more intense. He turned an eye of burning hatred up in time to see his leverage scramble to safety.

As Jimin checked Jungkook over, much to the younger man’s protests, Taehyung tried his luck and stepped into the large barrier. He did not go any closer, choosing to hang near the edge. “Let’s try this again,” he spat. “How many make your coven? We have a count of 3 so far, and we want to know how many we’d be going up against.”

Scoffing around the pain, Jaehwan glanced at Namjoon, Wonsik, and the others. “Why do they keep their distance? Are they afraid?”

“Cut the act, leech,” Taehyung ordered bluntly. “You only have to answer my questions.” He raised his gun with the gaze of a killer. “If not, I’ll put your miserable ass down right here and go for the other leeches in your so-called family.”

Jaehwan snarled as the burning only grew more painful. He watched Wonsik getting ready to fire at him once again, noticing every twitch in the hunter’s finger.

The air fell silent once again.

Jaehwan was ready for an onslaught of bullets that would end his life.

All of a sudden, Hoseok’s barrier shattered, and shards of energy fell everywhere.

Hoseok himself collapsed in shock. “Fuck!” He scrambled to his feet and ran to see what had happened. He skidded to a halt when he saw the sigils slashed, a deep crevice running through some, others just snapped in half.

Another blur of motion, and a barrier of black light shot up around Jimin and Jungkook.

The two yelped in surprise, realizing Hoseok was not the one doing this, as Seokjin ran to try and help them.

The eldest hunter looked around for the sigil responsible for the barrier before being thrown off his feet by something too fast to see. He cried out as he slammed into the wall.

Namjoon had already jumped down and fired around to clear the area. He kept a gun pointed out as he ran to Seokjin. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Nodding, Seokjin struggled to his feet as he kept an eye on the two hunters trapped. “Get them out,” he almost ordered. “We have to get them out.”

Wonsik knew who it was already, and he climbed down the fire escape as fast as he could, but he was not fast enough. He was flung off the last rung and onto the ground.

“You hired another team, Wonsik?” Sanghyuk’s voice echoed across the buildings. “Why?”

Wonsik picked up his shotgun and fired it right at his former friend, but they slammed into brick instead of vampire.

“Why did you rope them into this? Why are you shooting at me?” Sanghyuk sounded genuinely surprised.

“Because you left me alone,” Wonsik looked around carefully as he tried to pinpoint Sanghyuk’s location. “Left me alone when we promised never to.”

Sanghyuk would not admit to feeling some guilt, but he felt no regret for his decision. He hated the feeling of utter uselessness when his hands were damaged. He hated not being able to do anything; he could not even shoot a gun, let alone create sigils.

Wonsik continued his tirade. “You became one of them,” he spat. “The thing you hated, the thing you hunted! Now you’re nothing but a leech!”

Bristling, Sanghyuk looked down at the hunters trying to break the barrier, the others scrambling around to find the panels. He paced on the rooftop, unwilling to throw himself back at the deranged man with a shotgun alone.

Hoseok finished his cancellation sigil, smeared some blood on it, and threw it at the black energy. He whooped as the barrier collapsed.

Sanghyuk felt the time running out. “Wonsik,” he called, “don’t drag them into your family drama.” He jumped down, revealing himself with his hands up. “If you want, you can face me and Taekwoon together, and we’ll talk like civilized people.”

His offer was declined by another loud shot.

“You’re not a person,” Wonsik growled as smoke curled from the barrel. He cocked it again.

Sanghyuk opened his mouth to respond despite the dwindling amount of time he had. He reckoned a shot to his body would not kill him; it would only sting a lot. He still wanted a chance to defend his decision, and Wonsik was not willing to give him the time.

Their talk was cut short when Jaehwan, fueled by adrenaline and channeling pain, ran at Wonsik and body-checked him into the nearest wall.

Bricks and dust flew as Wonsik hit the building and cried out in pain. His weak protection sigil protected him from debilitating injuries like broken bones and punctured organs, but that fizzled out after Jaehwan’s attack, leaving the hunter open now.

Quick as a flash, Jaehwan kicked the shotgun out of the hunter’s hand, barrel bending from the force.

However, Wonsik was quick on his feet and unsheathed a knife. He jabbed it right into Jaehwan’s bullet wound, and the blessed metal went to work with an audible sizziling sound.

Withstanding the pain, Jaehwan went to end Wonsik where he stood, but a knife in his back stoped him. It was an ordinary knife, and all the vampire felt was pressure, but he was at the point where every little thing enraged him. He spun around to confront his attacker, smiling as he watched Jungkook back away and go for his gun.

Hongbin dropped from the rooftop and landed on the maknae, flipping the human onto the ground. He twisted Jungkook’s arm even more, wrenching the arm out of the socket. He was about to kill the hunter with a swift snap of his neck, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Hakyeon stood above his friend with a warning gaze. “Let him go,” he ordered. “They hate us enough as it is.”

Hongbin hesitated as he kept Jungkook pinned. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he groaned. He released the human roughly, throwing him a few feet away. “You’re too nice, Hakyeon.” He turned his attention to a concerned Jimin and chose him as his next target.

Hakyeon watched Namjoon take aim at Hongbin and ran forward. He crushed the gun in his hands and backhanded the hunter viciously.

Seokjin cried out Namjoon’s name and brandished his knife. He stabbed Hakyeon with his blessed knife, feeling the weapon sink into the vampire’s arm.

Hakyeon suppressed his whimper of pain as his eyes gleamed purple. “Are you going to stab me again?” he asked roughly. “Don’t be shy,” he growled. “Take the knife out and stab me again.”

Seokjin was put off by those words, but he had a vampire to kill. With a cry, he forced the knife out and stabbed down again. He felt something akin to a train collide with his stomach, and he crashed right into the blood bags, winded and now bloody.

Honbin grabbed Jaehwan and ordered a retreat. “Sanghyuk! Make yourself useful and keep them from following us.”

Hakyeon backed away and followed the other vampires. “You’ll be okay, right?” he asked the fledgling before he left.

Nodding, Sanghyuk reassured the leader that he would be fine. He carved at vampire speeds and created a shrieking sigil. Satisfied, he dropped some blood on it and threw it on the ground. As he felt the energy build up, he raced off into the night after the other vampires.

Hoseok moved to disable the sigil, but it released the pent-up energy in the form of a piercing scream.

Everyone in the vicinity recoiled from the sound assaulting his eardrums, hands shooting up to cover their ears.

The sigil kept getting louder and louder, shattering the window and cascading the broken glass down on the alleyway. The men were forced to flee, and when the sigil failed to sense any of them, it shut down, plummeting the early morning into deafening silence.

Jaehwan leaned heavily on Hongbin as they burst through the door. Having no one to hide his pain from, he was openly whimpering.

Taekwoon ran over to the group to see what was going on, gasping when he saw the extent of Jaehwan’s injuries.

Hakyeon stayed outside to make sure they were not followed and that Sanghyuk did his job.

Jaehwan gripped his fledgling’s arm as he was laid out on the couch. “I need blood,” he kept mumbling over and over again.

Taekwoon nodded and held out his wrist. “Go on.”

The injured vampire, no longer able to think, latched on and bit down before greedily gulping down Taekwoon’s blood.

Hakyeon smelled the familiar scent of Taekwoon’s blood and his heart skipped a beat. He rushed inside and laid his eyes on what was going on. “Jaehwan, stop!” he roared, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Taekwoon himself felt the affects of blood loss, falling back onto Sanghyuk after a wave of light headedness hit him.

Sanghyuk tried to push Jaehwan away. “You’re taking too much,” he tried warning.

Cursing, Hakyeon watched Jaehwan take more and more blood, and the leader now feared for Taekwoon’s life. He found one of Jaehwan’s wounds and dug his fingers in.

Jaehwan, feeling the rush of fresh pain, howled and let go, scrambling to get away from whatever was attacking him.

Sanghyuk let Taekwoon fall on him and pulled him away from the vampires as Jaehwan grabbed an irate Jaehwan and shoved him out the door. “He needs a whole body’s worth of blood,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll be back!”

When the door closed, Sanghyuk turned back to Taekwoon. “Rest,” he ordered gently. “That’s all your body needs right now.”

With drowsiness tugging him closer, Taekwoon obeyed, closing his eyes and falling into deep void of unconsciousness.

**So, I didn’t think the chapter was going to be that long. I hope you liked it! Thank you for sticking with me all these chapters, and I apologize for my wacky update schedule if I haven’t already. Please let me know what you think! Once again, thank you so much! Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	22. A Way Out

**Hello, dear readers! Please forgive me for the long wait! I will make all the excuses like the fact that school was hard, and that I was going through a rough patch in my life. However, here we are, and here is the next chapter to A Bloody Science. Please enjoy. Here we go!**

Despite his better judgement, Hakyeon headed back to the alley where the battle took place to survey the damage. He saw brick lying around, some spots of blood, but nothing worth phoning the police about should a human stumble upon it. The vampire still smelled the blood bag scent lingering, and he worried about other vampires being attracted to it.

             Taekwoon awoke to see Sanghyuk sitting on the side of his bed and watching him. “You need to stop doing that,” he said after his heartbeat stabilized. “Why do you watch me in my sleep?”

             The fledgling shrugged. “I don’t usually, but I was worried when Jaehwan took a lot out of you.” He fidgeted slightly. “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

             Taekwoon shook his head. “It’s all right,” he sighed. “Where’s Hakyeon?” The last thing he could remember was the vampires running in, and Jaehwan feeding off him. “What happened?” As he remembered the state everyone was in, his worry spiked. “Are you okay? Is Hakyeon okay? Where’s Jaehwan?”

             “Relax,” Sanghyuk soothed. “We just ran into some hunters.”

             That only served to make the human more anxious. “It was Wonsik wasn’t it!” He threw the covers off and struggled to his feet. He was still a little light-headed from the loss of blood. “I’ll be back,” he said bluntly, eyes blazing.

             Sanghyuk followed his friend with concern. “Where are you going, Taekwoon?” he asked with urgency. When he received no answer, he grabbed Taekwoon and dug his heels into the ground.

             Taekwoon tried to either escape Sanghyuk’s grip or drag him along, but he was no match for the supernatural being.

             “Please don’t do anything drastic,” begged the fledgling. “Taekwoon, promise me.”

             Nodding, Taekwoon waited for Sanghyuk to release him before hurrying out the door.

             Wonsik chugged on another beer as he listened to Namjoon relay what he learned from that night. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more,” he said once there was an opening. “Listen, Namjoon. We know what they can do. Next time, we’ll be prepared.”

             Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know if there will be a next time,” he said softly. “We’re all still trying to recover, and Hoseok is in no way prepared to go up against them again.”

             Hoseok was on the couch, still too weak to move. He had overextended his energy, and having it shattered only drained the man further. He did have enough energy to gaze up at Jimin with sad eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

             “No need,” the other said. “You did all you could.”

             Namjoon turned his attention back to Wonsik. “If we are to attack, it won’t be any time soon.”

             Wonsik felt the last string of sanity he had start to fray. He was out of options, and he was sure the vampires would be back for revenge. “Okay, Namjoon,” he said sadly. “Thank you for everything. I hope to see you after all of this blows over.” He tipped his head back to get all the beer the bottle could offer. “If not, thank you.”

             Straightening from his seat, Namjoon asked what was going on. “You’re not going to do anything stupid.” It was more an order than anything.

             Wonsik scoffed and hung up the phone. He gazed at his gun with the box of bullets on the side and started loading the magazine. Without a second thought, he set aside one bullet for himself just in case. He was about to go and clean more weapons when he heard the doorbell ring. He hesitated, wide eyes staring at the door. He thumbed the safety on his gun and contemplated whether he should shoot through the door.

             The doorbell rang again.

             Wonsik approached the door cautiously. “Who is it?” he called.

             “It’s Taekwoon.”

             Wonsik’s heart skipped a beat. His hand hovered over the doorknob. No, he could do this. He steeled himself and opened the door, gun aimed at eye level.

             Taekwoon jumped when he saw the gun and threw up his hands. “Wonsik!” he gasped. “I-it’s only me.”

             Wonsik only glared back at the other human.

             Taekwoon’s eyes shifted from the gun to Wonsik. “Well, either invite me in or shoot.”

             Wonsik hesitated again, but the gun was lowered, and he stepped to the side in silent invitation. “Why did you come?” he asked quietly as Taekwoon passed. “I didn’t think you’d ever be back here.”

             Taekwoon let his eyes wander around the dingy apartment. He felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach as he marveled at the state of disarray. “We need to talk,” he finally said. “This has to stop. You have to let Hakyeon go.”

             Laughing, Wonsik opened another beer and let it soothe his nerves. “Just Hakyeon?” He let a smirk dance across his lips. “Or is it more than that? You want to let the entire coven off the hook.”

             Taekwoon fell silent, unsure of what to say. He found himself gazing at anything other than Wonsik.

             “What happened to you?” Wonsik asked pensively. “All it took was some good vampire dick to change your entire moral code.”

             “Wonsik,” Taekwoon hissed, surprised at his friend’s bluntness. “That’s not true. There’s more to it than that.”

             “Oh, I’m sure,” the other replied. “I’m sure. I don’t know what you see in that leech.”

             “Enough of this,” Taekwoon spat, eager to get the topic changed. “I want to ask you something. Hear me through.”

             Wonsik nodded silently.

             “Come visit the coven.” Taekwoon was happy when Wonsik did not argue immediately. “They’ve agreed to let you visit and see the other side of vampires. The non-murdering side.” He cracked a small smile.

             Wonsik stared incredulously back. “What would that do? They all hate me.” He pet the gun like it was a baby and sighed. “The minute I step inside, I’m dead.”

             Taekwoon remembered that hunters would not step inside a coven unless they were prepared. He had read the stories of men dying if they did that. “Wonsik, the vampires won’t leave Seoul, and they have to feed. If you can work something out with them, wouldn’t that be better than throwing yourself at them?” He looked Wonsik in the eyes. “You’re better off accepting their offer, Wonsik,” he warned. “They could kill you if they tried.”

             That sent a shiver down Wonsik’s spine. He had experienced quite the fight with this particular coven, and if that was them not trying, he would be no match if they did. “How long do I have to think about this?” His voice was quiet.

             Taekwoon breathed a sigh of relief. “A week. I can come back when you’ve made your decision.” He got up to head out, his task completed.

             “No need.”

             Taekwoon stopped and looked back in surprise.

             Wonsik sighed and stood up. He tried his best to smile, but his mind was racing. “I’ll visit them. I can do that tomorrow.”

             For the first time in a while, Taekwoon smiled at Wonsik. “That’s great,” he breathed excitedly. “That’s great! Wonsik, thank you!” He moved to hug his friend, stopping when he saw the apprehensive scowl Wonsik was sporting. “Don’t worry,” he reassured. “As long as I’m there, I’ll make sure they won’t hurt you.” He could not help the large smile gracing his face.

             For a short time, Wonsik smiled back and bathed in the light Taekwoon’s smile brought. “Let’s hope for the best,” he whispered to himself.

             Taekwoon headed for the door. “I’ll tell them the good news,” he chirped. “I think this is for the best.”

             As the door shut, Wonsik glanced at the gun lying on the table. His smile fell slowly. “It’s for the best indeed.”

**This chapter was short, and I apologize. I wanted to get something out so it didn’t seem like I died. I will try and find another use for BTS, but the story should be done by the next chapter or two. Please tell me what you think! Thank you all for sticking with me for so long. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	23. A Chance at Peace

**Hello, dear readers! I had a burst of inspiration, so here it is. I thank you all for reading this through and sticking with me even with my awful update schedule. It really means a lot. Here we go!**

             There was a sense of tension the next day when Taekwoon arrived at Wonsik’s. He could cut it with a knife, but he did not want anything going wrong. “Are you ready?” he asked.

             Wonsik nodded slowly. He had left his guns on the table, knowing that they would not allow weapons at such a meeting. “You promise they won’t attack me as soon as I step through their door?”

             “Of course,” Taekwoon replied. “I’ve talked to everyone, and they’ve agreed not to.” He remembered everyone’s sour looks, but none as sour as Jaehwan. He would have to keep an eye on that one. “Sanghyuk will also be there, so he’ll have a better chance at stopping someone should things go wrong.”

             Not the most comforting thought, but Wonsik would take it. He took a deep breath and asked his stomach kindly to stop twisting itself. _Taekwoon wouldn’t let anything happen,_ he thought. _That would benefit no one._

             “Are you okay?”

             Wonsik jolted out of his thoughts before smiling sheepishly. “Not really, no…” He did not want to lie. “I’ve never been so nervous in my life. I’m breaking all the rules we learned in vampire hunting 101.”

             Taekwoon agreed but posited that not all the rules were correct. “Something tells me the rules are a bit biased.”

             Not knowing what else there was to say, the rest of the car ride was silent. Both of the men were apprehensive about how the day would go, but at least one of them had high hopes.

             Jaehwan paced around the living room in a blur. “I don’t like this,” he kept murmuring.

             “Relax,” Hongbin insisted. “You’ll wear down the floor.”

             Sanghyuk fidgeted with a wooden panel as he recalled his recent exchanges with Wonsik. The last time he had a pleasant exchange was when he was human.

             “Are we sure this is a good idea?” Jaehwan asked for the umpteenth time. “I’m still recovering from that last fight.”

             Hakyeon hummed in acknowledgment but did not call it off. “We have a chance to reconcile with a persistent hunter. This is something that’s never been done before.”

             “You trust this man, this hunter?” Hongbin asked, voice dripping with venom. “The same guy that tortured you, made an alliance with the Bangtan clan, and nearly killed Jaehwan?” He wanted to slap some sense into the leader, but there was nothing that would solve.

             Hakyeon knew his coven’s concerns, but this was the best option. If he wanted peace and quiet, Wonsik would have to either back off or be eliminated. “I’m sorry, everyone,” he sighed. “This was all my fault.” He gazed out the window. “Maybe I should just visit him alone.

             “No,” Sanghyuk insisted. “There’s no way Wonsik will spare you without us! He’ll fight until you’re a bloody stain on the ground.” He let his eyes flash as he spoke. Some spit probably flew out of his mouth as well. “We’ll be there when he comes,” the fledgling promised. “Don’t worry.”

             Despite those words of comfort, Hakyeon still felt his nerves twisting his stomach in a tight knot. That feeling intensified when the sound of a car reached his ears.

             “They’re here,” Jaehwan announced quietly. His dark gaze could have burned a hole through the window. “What do we do, Hakyeon?”

             The leader silently opened the door and hugged Taekwoon as the human walked up. “Thank you,” he murmured.

             Planting a kiss on Hakyeon’s lips, Taekwoon motioned for Wonsik to follow. “He’s just nervous,” he explained.

             Hongbin scoffed. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

             Jaehwan backed away and joined his coven mate by the living room couch.

             Sanghyuk was a different story. He was behind Hakyeon and regarded Wonsik with caution.

             Wonsik swallowed his fear and entered the house slowly. A turtle could have beaten him to it. Like a trapped animal, his eyes darted around and took in everything. He noted where the exits were, where the kitchen was, and how big the house truly was.

             There was a pregnant pause between the two groups, and one could feel the thick tension settling over the area.

             “Hello, Wonsik.”

             Hakyeon’s voice came out of nowhere and caused the hunter to jolt. “Hello,” he replied.

             The vampire’s gaze met Wonsik’s, and he continued. “I forgive you. I forgive you for what you’ve done to me and my coven.” His voice was soft and sincere, eyes softening as he spoke. If there was anything else he could have done to seem genuine, he would have done it. “This fighting benefits no one. I think you can agree.”

             Wonsik remained still. Only his eyes and mouth moved. “It benefits the people you prey on,” he hissed.

             “Only drunks, criminals, and the unwanted,” the vampire defended himself. “Only those who do not have much of a life.”

             “The drunks at the bar-”

             “Were drowning their problems there,” Hakyeon interrupted. “They were getting ready to end it all; they have given up.”

             Wonsik bristled. “How do you know that?” he demanded.

             Hongbin rolled his eyes. “You think we just kill willy nilly?” He got up off the couch and stood by Hakyeon’s side. “No. We follow the prey for weeks on end to see the situation. Once we’ve made our decision, then we attack.” He licked his lips. “Only when we’re desperate do we kill without thought.”

             The hunter cocked his head. “Well, now there’s your problem. We can’t wait until the next time you become desperate, can we?” He did not realize he had a taken a few aggressive steps towards the vampire until he felt a hand keeping him from going any further.

             “Please, Wonsik,” Taekwoon pleaded. “You promised.”

             The other human nodded and backed off reluctantly. “Vampires are a scourge to humanity,” he said darkly. “Hunters are there to make sure they do not destroy us.”

             “You seem to have very twisted views of vampires,” commented Jaehwan. “Maybe you should actually spend some quality bonding time with one. I know of one down in Busan that would love to hang out with a human.”

             Judging by the tone in Jaehwan’s voice, Wonsik concluded that the outing would not be a peaceful one. “Luring me into a trap is a very vampire thing to do.” He looked at Taekwoon. “I’ve stayed here long enough. Can I go now?”

             Shaking his head, Taekwoon leaned against the front door. “There has to be an agreement before I let you leave,” he said sadly. “I can’t have my friends tearing at each other’s throats all the time.”

             “They’re your friends?” Wonsik almost laughed. “What happened to you, Taekwoon? You used to want nothing but the elimination of these leeches!”

             Taekwoon rolled his eyes. “That was before…”

             Hakyeon glanced over at his love.

             Wonsik blinked impatiently. He wanted to get out of this danger zone and bad.

             “Before I saw the other side,” Taekwoon finally concluded. He looked at Wonsik with sad eyes. “That was before I fell for Hakyeon.”

             Wonsik winced at those words. He turned to the vampires, feeling like a piece of meat in a den full of hungry lions, and sighed. “Fine,” he huffed. “If Taekwoon’s safe and happy, then I’m ready to listen to whatever bullshit plan you have.”

             Hakyeon smiled disingenuously. “Amazing,” he drawled. “My coven and I will hunt for previously mentioned individuals: drunks, nobodies, and the like, even when desperate. On your end, you simply leave us alone.”

             Silence.

             The other vampires watched like hawks.

             “Is this acceptable?” Hakyeon asked. He held out his hand.

             Wonsik rustled his shirt nervously, unwilling to back himself up into an agreement with a monster. There was nothing else to it really. “Will you attack me in the future?” A silly question, he knew, but it would do well to ease his paranoia where he could.

             Hakyeon nodded. “I’ve already forgiven you.”

             A smile grew on Wonsik’s lips, and he stepped forward confidently. Taking the vampire’s hand, he gave a firm handshake. “Very well then,” he said with more power in his voice. “I accept.”

             Taekwoon let out a happy gasp, and he headed over to Wonsik and hugged the man. Afterwards, he embraced Hakyeon with excitement. The battle was over, his friends reconciled, and Taekwoon could not be happier.

             Wonsik watched with a sense of calm as Sanghyuk and the others joined in the celebration.

             Hakyeon came forward again as the others chatted. “Thank you,” he said. “I really mean it.” He had just negotiated with a hunter, a feat thought impossible. All vampires knew how humans got in the face of danger.

             “No, thank you,” said hunter replied. He spread his arms for a hug. “Would this, like, seal the deal?”

             “If you want,” Hakyeon answered calmly. He hugged his enemy lightly, still not too comfortable around the hunter. Suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach and let out a bellow of pain. His eyes flashed purple and his fangs dropped as his body prepared to fight. He pulled himself away from Wonsik and gripped the open wound in his stomach. He collapsed and gazed up at Wonsik in disbelief.

             “Hakyeon!” Taekwoon raced towards the vampire and fell to his knees at his side. He saw the wound and gasped in horror.

             The last thing Hakyeon could hear was the other coven members roaring in outrage. The last thing Hakyeon smelled was his own flesh burning upon contact with the blessed silver. After that, the world went black.

**I’m reaching the end, folks! Please tell me what you guys thought! I hope you all enjoyed the story, and I’m sorry for bashing on Hakyeon so much. Poor guy just needs a rest. Anywho, I thank you all once again for sticking with me, and please stay tuned for the next chapter! Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	24. A Violent End

**I’m excited for this chapter! I want to thank you for all the positive feedback you all gave me. I hope I’m doing well on this, and this may be the last chapter. I’m trying to think of an epilogue, but we’ll see. Anyway, please enjoy! Here we go!**

               Time seemed to slow down for Taekwoon as he saw the glint of silver flashing in the sunlight. He watched his love cry out in pain. He watched his former friend’s emotionless face twist into something akin to a murderer’s.

             Jaehwan let out a roar of outrage and rushed forward.

             Before Wonsik could react, he felt himself being hoisted up by the throat and thrown into the nearest wall. He felt his bones protest as he collided and fell to the floor.

             Sanghyuk immediately carved up a healing ritual. “Dammit,” he cursed. “The knife has silver!” He could not heal a wound made by a weapon with silver Only human blood could do that.

             Hakyeon was limp, sweat beading on his forehead.

             Taekwoon cried out and fell to his knees at Hakyeon’s side. He propped Hakyeon’s head on his lap and ran a concerned hand through the vampire’s hair. “Hakyeon,” he gasped. “Are you okay? Oh, please tell me you’re all right!” He checked the wound and winced internally at how terrible it looked. “Hakyeon!”

             Hakyeon awoke in the void of unconsciousness. He looked around from where he sat, echoes ringing in his ears. He wanted to wake up as he heard Taekwoon’s pleas reverberating around the area, but something was preventing him.

             “Hello again, me.”

             Hakyeon spun around and came face-to-face with his counterpart. “Oh,” he said calmly. “It’s you.”

             Purple eyes flashed as the other Hakyeon smiled and revealed his glinting fangs. “Oh. Do you hear that?” he asked as Taekwoon’s voice echoed again. “Sounds like someone wants you back. That’s a first.”

             A pang of anger sparked in Hakyeon. He took an aggressive step forward and grabbed his doppelganger’s collar. “Let me go,” he demanded. “I’m no use to them on the ground.”

             “That may be true,” the other Hakyeon agreed, “but what are you going to do? That knife wound’s eating away at your flesh. There’s no way to stop it without a body’s worth of blood.”

             The truth hit Hakyeon hard. The only two humans in the room were Taekwoon and Wonsik.

             Licking his fangs, the other Hakyeon cast his dark eyes up to the prick of light above them. That was consciousness, and he had always wanted to have more than just a glimpse of the outside world. “I’ll let you up as long as you let me fight.”

             “What do you mean?” Hakyeon asked.

             The other Hakyeon laughed. “I will help you kill Wonsik, save your coven, and live happily after ever. There’s just one catch.”

             Hakyeon nodded. Of course, there was.

             “When I drink to heal your body, you cannot take over. I want to experience the thrill for myself. Can’t remember the last time I tasted human blood myself, plus it will heal you. It’s a win-win situation.”

             Scenes of the hunter’s massacre flashed in the air. It was in Hakyeon’s point of view, and Hongbin could be seen running around, bathing in the showers of blood.

             “You refused to drink from them,” Vicious Hakyeon commented. “I will help you,” he said, turning back to his other side, “but you cannot deny me a drink.”

             As if to urge Hakyeon into agreement, the sounds of Wonsik yelling reverberated around the two.

             “Very well,” Hakyeon said. “Do what you will.” He closed his eyes to surrender into the void.

             Vicious Hakyeon’s eyes flared purple, a smile spreading across his face. “Thank you,” he breathed as Hakyeon fell to the ground. His fangs glinted as he turned back and watched the white light get bigger and bigger.

             Taekwoon let out a shuddering sob as he rocked Hakyeon back and forth. “Please,” he whimpered. “Please get up…please.”

             Wonsik took another swipe at Jaehwan as the vampire dove in for another attack. He already bore a gash on his arm. He kept his eyes on Hongbin who was pacing like a predator.

             Sanghyuk was attempting to have his sire calm down. “He’s outnumbered,” he kept saying. “He can’t do anything to us.”

             Jaehwan snarled at his fledgling as a warning. “Don’t take his side,” he ordered. “It won’t end well for either of you.” He surged forward to snap Wonsik’s neck, but a shot rang out, and he felt a burning pain soon after. He fell to the ground in surprise, yelping.

             Vampires and humans ducked at the unexpected sound, and Hongbin crawled to Jaehwan.

             “I’m okay,” Jaehwan reassured. He dug his fingers in and pulled out the bullet, dropping it quickly when his fingers started smoking.

             The door was forced open by a powerful kick, and a hunter walked in, gun aiming right at the vampires. “I knew it,” he groaned. “You did something stupid.”

             Wonsik smiled weakly.

             Namjoon’s eyes turned to the three vampires that were glaring at him. “I’ve seen what you can do,” he called. “I can tell you that my clan does not wish to attack you anymore.” He glanced at Wonsik. “Please allow Wonsik to leave with me.”

             The vampires exchanged glances.

             “He won’t bother you again. I’ll make sure of it,” Namjoon promised.

             The room fell silent as everyone took in that proposal.

             Taekwoon got up slowly, setting Hakyeon’s head down gently. “Wonsik,” he said softly. “Please, accept it.” He reached out his hand cautiously, still fully aware of the gun Wonsik had in his hands. “Please.”

             Wonsik glanced between the people in front of him. As the adrenaline started petering out, he could feel the ache in his bones and kept himself from groaning from the pain. “If I leave,” he finally said, “you’ll all just come after me again.”

             “That’s not true,” Sanghyuk insisted. “We never wanted to hurt you!”

             Hakyeon’s eyes fluttered open. _It’s awfully quiet,_ he thought. Eyes flaring purple, he let out a snarl and shot up, racing right towards the hunter with a gun. His vision was still a bit fuzzy, but he could smell the blood, and his mouth watered at the thought of it.

             Namjoon did not have time to cry out as he felt Hakyeon’s teeth sink into his arm. He could barely register what was going on around him; his only thoughts were of getting that creature off him. With a pained growl, he dropped his gun, caught it with the other hand, and shot Hakyeon right in the stomach.

             Hakyeon smiled wildly as pain bloomed through his stomach, and he let go. “Ooh,” he whispered to himself. “I missed this.” He backed away like a feral animal, hissing and licking at the blood in his mouth.

             Taekwoon shuddered at the sight of Hakyeon. He shuddered at the cruel gaze in the vampire’s eyes. “Hakyeon?”

             Hakyeon ignored the human, eyes still locked on Namjoon. “Come on,” he goaded. “You’ve got the gun, I’ve got the speed. Let’s see who blinks first.”

             Wonsik took the opportunity to do something he never thought he would do. He gripped the handle of his knife and stabbed Sanghyuk right in the thigh.

             Sanghyuk’s lightning reflexes prevented the knife from going any deeper than an inch, but the burning pain started almost immediately afterwards. His shocked and hurt eyes flared to life, fangs dropping for the fight. “Wonsik,” he gasped.

             Wonsik did not hesitate and made for the fledgling again. He was stopped by a hand on his chest, and it almost knocked the air out of him.

             Jaehwan was livid. How dare this hunter attack his fledgling! “Fuck off!” he screamed as he threw the human to the side.

             Wonsik skidded across the hallway, but he was prepared. He used his knife to slow him down, so the impact to his body was lessened. He did not have much time to recover before Hongbin was upon him. The hunter made a blind attack, swiping out blindly.

             Hongbin hissed as the knife made a gash in his arm, but it was superficial at best. “You’re very persistent, little hunter,” he mocked. “Such tenacity.”

             Wonsik remained on the ground, hoping that he could think of something. Without a sigil drawer, he stood little chance against the vampires. He could hear Namjoon’s gun go off a few times.

             Sanghyuk grimaced as the burning kept coming in waves. “Jaehwan,” he called.

             The sire rushed over and flung Sanghyuk’s arm around his shoulder for support. “You’re okay,” he said.

             Taekwoon seemed to snap out of his shocked stupor and rushed to Sanghyuk. “I can’t believe he did this,” he breathed as he saw the wound in Sanghyuk’s leg.

             “Really?” Sanghyuk incredulously.

             Taekwoon offered his wrist out. “Here. The both of you.”

             Jaehwan nodded. “Thank you,” he murmured. “Are you sure?”

             “Yes,” Taekwoon replied. “I trust you.”

             That caught Jaehwan off guard, but he did not argue.

             Sanghyuk limped forward and latched onto the human’s wrist. Blood immediately began flowing into his mouth, and the burning pain started to lessen. Not only that, but Sanghyuk felt the strange sensation of his body knitting back together. The blood tasted so great, and the fledgling drank like a person that was lost in the desert. He suddenly felt fingers in his hair, pulling him back gently.

             Jaehwan watched for the signs of blood loss and watched Sanghyuk’s wound heal. When the fledgling did not stop, he coaxed him off gently.

             With new strength, Sanghyuk turned to Namjoon and got his sigils out.

             Jaehwan licked his fangs carefully. “Here we go,” he said. He let his fangs slip right into where Sanghyuk’s were.

             Taekwoon winced at the dull ache that followed.

             The vampire drank, stopping and looking up constantly. When he felt his strength return, he let go, albeit unwillingly. “Thank you,” he said again.

             Nodding, Taekwoon turned to try and convince Hongbin not to kill Wonsik. Before he could move, a wall of energy surged up from the floor with a crackle. “What?” he gasped.

             Sanghyuk hissed. He knew that energy signal. Turning to the open door, he rushed out, only to see multiple sigils on the ground, trapping everyone in. He reached out to destroy one but was stopped by a gunshot. Flinching back, he looked up to see Jungkook lowering a gun.

             Jimin rushed passed the maknae, his own gun blazing.

             Yoongi unsheathed his karambit knives and headed into the house. “Now, Hoseok!” he cried over his shoulder.

             The sigil drawer dropped his blood on the weakening sigil and felt his energy rush into it.

             Sanghyuk felt his strength leave his body. “God, this is annoying,” he huffed as he watched Hoseok starting to approach him. Getting to his feet, he let out a warning hiss.

             Hoseok did not even flinch, and he kept on advancing. He was joined by Seokjin.

             Sanghyuk knew that his first priority was to deactivate the weakening sigil, but he was on equal footing now. Holding up his hands, he backed away slowly. “Hoseok,” he said calmly. “You don’t have to do this.” He looked at Seokjin. “I don’t want to hurt you two.

             The sigil drawer looked inside to where his fellow hunters were attacking. “I really do,” he said.

             Seokjin nodded in agreement. “We cannot allow such a threat to remain in Seoul.”

             Sanghyuk knew he was not strong, but he was still quick. He wasted no time in creating a sigil of his own and imbued it with his energy. The cancellation worked, and he felt the strength and speed returning. He rushed around the sigil drawer and slashed the opponent’s sigils.

             Hoseok swore under his breath and backed away. He had his knives, but that would do nothing if Sanghyuk really wanted to kill him.

             Seokjin kept a reassuring hand on his fellow hunter’s shoulder.

             Sanghyuk tilted his head. “You can walk away now,” he said. He was giving the hunters another chance.

             Hoseok threw another two sigils down, this time behind him, and drew out his knife. He never needed a gun really. He knew the slowing sigil would help his friends.

             Seokjin twirled his knife nervously and circled around the dangerous creature.

             Inside, Hongbin knew the sigil worker was at work, but he had other things to deal with. Most importantly, the gun in his face.

             Jaehwan was able to throw Seokjin off of him and shove Yoongi over the couch with a snarl. He felt the pain of another bullet entering him, and he swore. “I just healed myself too,” he lamented. He turned on Jungkook, eyes flaring up in distress.

             Hakyeon’s vicious self never really felt the effects of a cancellation sigil before, and it slowed him down a bit. He was confused, but that did not mean he was crippled. Using his human strength now, he went from throwing Namjoon around to simply swiping at the hunter with one of his own knives. “Ok,” he snarled angrily. “I see what you’re doing.”

             Namjoon dove to the side to where Jungkook’s gun lay, and he swung around, ready to fire.

             Hakyeon acted fast and sunk the knife into the back of Namjoon’s hand, forcing the gun out.

             Wonsik lashed out and kicked Hakyeon in the gut. As Hakyeon stumbled away, the hunter turned to assess the damage. “Oh shit,” he breathed.

             Namjoon sucked in a breath when he finally registered the pain. “Damn.”

             Taekwoon saw Jungkook sneaking up behind Hakyeon, and he threw himself onto the younger man. He wrestled Jungkook to the ground in a desperate attempt to get the knife out of the maknae’s hand.

             Inside Hakyeon’s mind, the gentler side breathed as sounds of the battle surrounded him. “Please help him,” he whispered.

             Vicious Hakyeon rolled his eyes and noted on how sentimental Hakyeon was, but he knew that he would not hear the end of it if he let Taekwoon die. He made sure to knock the breath out of Wonsik before turning and grabbing Taekwon just in time for the knife aimed at his side to miss. “All right then,” he groaned menacingly as he caught Jungkook’s arm in a death grip. “Time to kill you.” It was as if the thought of killing was nothing for the vampire.

             Jungkook thrashed about, trying to kick himself or punch himself free, but the vampire’s pain tolerance was quite high despite the fact that it was being hindered by Hoseok’s sigil. Abandoning his pride, he cried out for help.

             Hakyeon had the knife now, and he gripped Jungkook’s hair at the back of his head. Smiling sadistically, he wrenched the hunter’s head back, exposing the throat. “I don’t have time for a drink.” His hand pulled back as he got ready to stab.

             “Hakyeon, wait!” Taekwoon cried.

             “What are you doing?” Hakyeon whispered in the void.

             Vicious Hakyeon paused and cast a glance at Taekwoon.

             Taehyung, with a cry, latched onto Hakyeon’s hair and tore the creature away from his friend. “Jungkook!”

             The maknae propped himself up and struggled to his knees. “I’m okay,” he said. “I’m okay.”

             Taehyung looked around frantically for a gun.

             “Tae, there’s no time,” Jungkook yelled as a very angry Hakyeon came back for them.

             The two hunters ducked to avoid the fist flying towards them. After tucking and rolling away, they split off, hoping to surround the bloodsucker.

             Yoongi pressed against the wall as Hongbin gripped his arm. They were both bloody and sore, but they could not stop. They were hunter and hunted, predator and prey. Which one was which, at the moment, was debatable.

             Hongbin refused to be bested by the very thing that failed to kill him for all these years. He licked his fangs and started forward, knowing that the next exchange should end with one of them dead.

             Yoongi had not enough time to react properly, and all he could do was throw up his hands in a weak defense. He deflected the blow, but the dull pain that radiated from his arms told him that there would be, at the very least, bruising.

             Hongbin did not waste anytime and pivoted his hip for a devastating kick. He aimed to break ribs with this attack.

             Blocking, Yoongi reached into his belt and pulled out a concealed knife. He lashed it across Hongbin’s throat, cursing when it did not go in deep enough. “Fucking leech,” he hissed.

             Hongbin had to remember that he was not at full vampire strength and speed if he did not want another attack like that to kill him. He did not want to call for help, as his friends were currently dealing with the group of hunters by Taekwoon.

             Outside, Hoseok grunted as another fist impacted his jaw. His body, tired from the abuse, gave out, and he fell to his knees, panting. He struggled back to his feet but was only knocked down again by Sanghyuk. His blood flew across the pavement, and his lip was bleeding from the impact.

             Seokjin laid just a few feet from Hoseok, his chest heaving. He ignored the blood trickling down his face as he dragged himself over to his friend. “Hoseok,” he gasped. “Hoseok, are you okay?”

             “I’m alive,” Hoseok replied quietly, smiling.

             Sanghyuk almost felt sorry for his opponents, but that feeling quickly vanished when he heard a few more gunshots from inside the house. Cursing, he passed the injured hunter and headed for the two sigils hindering his friends.

             Seokjin, desperate to stop the vampire, threw himself weakly and grabbed Sanghyuk’s ankle.

             Now annoyed, Sanghyuk stopped holding back. He, in almost one fluid motion, yanked Seokjin’s hand off him and kicked him in the face. When the hunter did not attempt to stop him again, he stormed over to the offending sigils and snapped them in half.

             The vampires all felt their strength and speed returning to them in a heartbeat.

             Hakyeon laughed maniacally and, with all of his strength, picked up Wonsik and threw him through the nearest wall again.

             Wonsik’s body could not take much more of this but the hunter did not want to quit. He picked himself up, shaking from the effort. His eyes burned with rage as he spat blood out of his mouth. “Well then,” he hissed. “Come on.”

             Hakyeon did not stop smiling. He was going to strike the killing blow.

             Yoongi wanted to run to the hunter’s aid, but Hongbin grabbed him and Taehyung and held them up against the wall while Jaehwan pinned Jungkook and Jimin to the floor.

             Outside, Sanghyuk heard the fight come to a halt from inside the house.

             Hoseok could really only look back wearily while Seokjin let out a despaired cry.

             The vampire decided to go see what had happened, tossing the snapped sigils in front of Hoseok as he passed.

             Taekwoon glanced between his love and his old friend. “Please,” he pleaded to both of them. “Please, stop this.” Why did he bother? He knew that there was no point in trying anymore.

             Hakyeon’s muscles tensed.

             Wonsik’s arms flinched.

             Inside Hakyeon’s unconscious mind, the gentle side of the vampire sat with baited breath as the void grew silent.

             Hakyeon’s eyes sparked purple with an intensity that was unfamiliar to Taekwoon.

             The human knew the vampire was getting ready to attack. Thinking a step ahead, Taekwoon placed himself between Hakyeon and Wonsik and braced himself.

             Hakyeon realized all too late, and he sent Taekwoon flying into Wonsik.

             The two crumpled to the ground.

             Taekwoon’s cries rang throughout the void, and Hakyeon decided that was enough. He forced all of his mental energy and surged through the light up above.

             Taekwoon winced as the pain started setting in and started to see if anything was broken. He could feel Wonsik’s chest moving up and down as he breathed. “Wonsik? Are you okay?” he rasped.

             The other human could only nod.

             Hakyeon’s eyes widened as he saw what he did to Taekwoon. He could still feel his vicious side raring to get out, insisting that he was cheated from the deal. However, Hakyeon ignored the voice in his head and knelt to comfort Taekwoon. Only then did he realize that he was still in so much pain from the initial knife stab.

             Taekwoon smiled when he saw the Hakyeon he recognized. “Welcome back,” he joked weakly.

             “Hey.” Hakyeon smiled back. He winced as he helped Taekwoon to his feet.

             Wonsik glared as the two held each other. He felt a pang of jealousy, and his inner conscious started speaking again.

             _Look at that. There they are. They’re going to ride off into the sunset together while you…do what exactly?_

Wonsik’s eyes traveled over to the other vampires and hunters.

             _Your little crusade is over, it seems. This whole mess is over. And to think, it was all caused by Jung fucking Taekwoon._

A light bulb seemed to go off in Wonsik’s head.  His eyes fell on Taekwoon.

             _Oh yes,_ his consciousness said. _That is an interesting idea._

             Hakyeon caught the glint of silver before anyone else did. He shoved Taekwoon behind him, using those few precious seconds to make sure his human was out of danger. Then he felt the knife get imbedded in his stomach again.

             “No!” Wonsik screamed. “No! You fucking leech!” He started twisting the knife as angry tears pricked his eyes. “He has to pay for what he did!” He took the blade out and stabbed it in again.

             Taekwoon was fighting with all his might, but Hakyeon was too strong. “Hakyeon!” he cried. “Let me go! Get away!”

             Hakyeon tried backing up with Taekwoon behind him, but Wonsik kept advancing.

             Before any other vampire could truly react and subdue the attacker, Taekwoon was able to reach down and grab a gun. With a desperate cry, he aimed it right at Wonsik.

             Wonsik froze, now fully aware of what was being aimed at him. He did not move.

             “Stop!” Taekwoon screamed. “Stop, all of you!” His voice was breaking. “Haven’t you all done enough!” He was addressing all of them, but his eyes were still trained on Wonsik. “Back up,” he ordered. “Get that knife out of my fucking boyfriend.”

             “Finally,” Wonsik scoffed. “Showing some backbone.” He gave the knife a gentle twist, causing Hakyeon to whimper and fold in on himself a bit.

             Taekwoon swallowed. He did not know if he could shoot Wonsik, but he knew he had to protect Hakyeon.

             The vampire was already paler, a sign that he was dying. With all the wounds he sustained, it was not a huge surprise.

             Taekwoon’s finger twitched.

             Wonsik pressed his forehead to the barrel of the gun. “You can do it,” he encouraged mockingly. “I believe in you.” His steely gaze met Taekwoon’s horrified one. “One of us is going to die today,” he said, glancing at Hakyeon. He gave the knife a brutal twist, causing Hakyeon to fold even more.

             Despite the debilitating pain he felt, Hakyeon still kept a grip on Taekwoon. He still kept his body between the two.

             Taekwoon gasped when Hakyeon folded. “Stop!” he insisted. “Please!”

             “You can say please all you want,” Wonsik said sadly, “but I won’t stop this.” His eyes took on an insane gleam. “The only way I can stop is if you kill me.”

             Wonsik’s calm voice was what scared Taekwoon the most. “You really won’t stop,” he sobbed as tears rolled down his eyes.

             The other vampires and hunters watched silently.

             The atmosphere was the tensest anyone ever felt.

             Hakyeon could feel his body giving out, and he finally fell to his knees. His hand clasped at Taekwoon’s pants. The knife slipped out as he fell.

             Wonsik shrugged and raised the knife, ready to strike the final blow.

             A gunshot rang out.

             Wonsik’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back a few steps. His back hit the wall. In a daze, he looked down to see a circle of red forming on his shirt. Looking back up, he coughed up some blood and smiled. His teeth were stained red. “You did it.” He sounded like he was praising a child. “Good job, Taekwoonie!”

             Taekwoon let out a shaky breath as the realization of what he did washed over him.

             Wonsik stood with great difficulty and started staggering over to Hakyeon. He was determined to end the vampire’s life.

             Taekwoon cried out in protest and fired another shot into Wonsik’s leg. He cried when he saw Wonsik start crawling; he now believed that his former friend truly could not stop.

             “I should’ve known you were gonna betray me,” Wonsik rasped. He felt weaker by the minute.

             Hakyeon looked at his attacker almost with pity.

             Taekwoon was the one now standing between the two adversaries. “You’re not going to stop, aren’t you?”

             Wonsik, in a moment of clarity, let a tear run down his bloody face. “If we hadn’t captured him,” he said sadly, “then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” He looked up at Taekwoon sadly. “Maybe we could’ve still been friends.” He let out a soft chuckle at the absurdity of wanting to go back and change time. Then, he started making for Hakyeon again. He did not get far.

             Taekwoon closed his eyes and fired the last bullet the gun had into Wonsik’s brain. He let out an anguished sob as Wonsik’s body went limp.

             Hongbin finally released his captives and shoved them away. Letting out his most aggressive growl, his eyes flaring and fangs dropping. He could have fought all day, but the hunters backed away, knowing that the fight was over.

             Jaehwan released Jungkook and Jimin and watched as the two scrambled away like frightened animals. A sick part of him laughed at such a pathetic display.

             Taekwoon suddenly remembered that Hakyeon was gravely injured, and he whipped around to see his love lying on the floor breathing erratically. “No,” he breathed. “Hakyeon?” He held Hakyeon’s head. “Here.” He pressed his wrist to Hakyeon’s wrist.

             The vampire refused, turning his head away. “You’ll die.”

             Taekwoon took a moment to process that statement before responding. “So?” he asked. “Come on. You need it.”

             “I won’t kill you,” Hakyeon insisted, even though he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker. “Please don’t make me, Taekwoon.”

             Taekwoon did not listen. He grabbed the nearest knife and cut his wrist.

             The blood scent hit Hakyeon’s nose, and his instincts screamed at him to drain the human dry. “No,” he murmured. “That’s my human. I can’t kill him.”

             Taekwoon cast a desperate look at the others. “Help him!”

             “I’ll see if I can get somebody,” Jaehwan said quickly. He was gone in an instant.

             Hongbin shook his head sadly. “There isn’t that much time,” he bemoaned.

             Hakyeon had stopped talking all together.

             Taekwoon begged Hakyeon to drink. “You need it,” he kept saying. “I’m well aware that I could die.”

             That seemed to reach Hakyeon. “No, love,” he said softly. “You will die…I can’t do that…to you…”

             Hongbin finally stepped forward. “There is…one way,” he said hesitantly.

             “What is it?” Taekwoon asked almost immediately.

             “A full blood exchange,” responded the vampire, “between the human and the vampire.”

             Hakyeon shook his head minutely. “It’s never…been done b-before.” He was fading fast.

             “Not successfully,” Hongbin replied. That did not offer much hope. “It’s worth a shot,” he pointed out. “There’s nothing else we can do, and Hakyeon won’t last until Jaehwan returns.”

             Taekwoon glanced at Sanghyuk who had just returned from helping Seokjin and Hoseok to the car. “What do I have to do?” he finally asked.

             Hongbin nodded towards Hakyeon. “You need to drink from him while he drinks from you. You heal him while he turns you.”

             Taekwoon’s eyes widened as he realized what that entailed. He nodded a few seconds later. If he was willing to die, then he was willing to turn. “Hakyeon,” he whispered. “Please do this for me. Please.”

             Hakyeon looked into Taekwoon’s eyes.

             “I beg you,” the human tried.

             “Okay.” Hakyeon yielded and latched on to Taekwoon. The effect of the blood was almost immediate.

             “Just remember,” Hongbin reminded, “that a full blood transfer is the deepest bond between vampires. There is no breaking it, and you cannot leave each other’s side until you perish from this earth.”

             “I accept the consequences,” Taekwoon replied almost with annoyance. “…sorry.”

             Hongbin stepped back and turned to Sanghyuk. “We should leave,” he told the fledgling. “A full blood transfer is a very intimate thing. Let’s go find Jaehwan and tell him what’s happening.”

             Nodding, Sanghyuk followed the vampire out of the door.

             Taekwoon noticed Hakyeon offering his wrist, and he cut it open. Despite the revulsion he had to such an action, he started drinking the blood. He gagged as the coppery taste filled his mouth, but he forced himself to keep drinking. He could almost feel Hakyeon through his blood, and he closed his eyes and stopped thinking. _I’m ready,_ he thought to himself. A part of him hoped Hakyeon could hear his thoughts. _I’m ready for eternity with you._

**Oh my gosh! I did not mean for this chapter to be so long! I suck at writing action scenes…anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I believe that there will be one more chapter and maybe an epilogue. I want to thank you all for reading this; I can’t say this enough. I hope this did not disappoint too much. Once again, thank you so much! Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	25. A Future Together

**Hello, everyone! Two things: Thank you so much for sticking with me as I’ve said before. All this positive feedback is great, and I am so happy you guys like the story. I’m also sorry for the non-existent update date. Please forgive me for that. I hope you all aren’t too mad at me! Anyway, here it is! The last chapter! I’m going to miss this work. It’s my most popular one, and I have you guys to thank for it! And so, here we go!**

Taekwoon did not know how long he was asleep for. He did not remember when he fell asleep. The morning sun pouring through the window was almost too intense for him to handle, and he turned his back towards it.

             From downstairs, Sanghyuk heard the bedsheets rustle and dropped the piece of rubble he was about to throw in the pile.

             Jaehwan was currently buzzing around and fixing up the walls while Hongbin made sure all of Hoseok’s sigils were deactivated.

             “The newborn’s up,” Sanghyuk informed the two. “I’ll go check on him.”

             “Don’t need my permission,” Jaehwan commented as he whizzed by.

             Hongbin merely nodded.

             Taekwoon could hear footsteps downstairs. In fact, he could hear just about everything. He heard rubble being thrown, the scrape of cement, and the bricks being laid. It was all a bit too much for the new vampire. Grasping the pillow and wrapping it around his head, Taekwoon let out a pained groan.

             Sanghyuk opened the door slowly, knowing how bad the creak was. “Taekwoon?”

             “Why are you yelling?” Taekwoon asked.

             “I’m not,” Sanghyuk replied. “It’s just you adjusting to your new ears. You’ll be fine after today.” He sat on the edge of the bed and offered a blood bag. “Drink.”

             Taekwoon remembered the taste of Hakyeon’s blood and nearly threw up on the spot. “I can’t,” he gasped.

             Sanghyuk merely rolled his eyes. “Try it. It’s good.” As if to prove his point, he punctured the bag with his fangs and took a sip.

             Despite Taekwoon’s attitude towards the liquid, as soon as the bag was punctured, he felt himself yearning for a taste. A dark part of him wanted to shove Sanghyuk away and take the blood all for himself. Hesitantly, he held out his hand.

             “There you go!” Sanghyuk handed the blood over and watched with baited breath. In all honesty, he looked like a child watching something interesting.

             Taekwoon took a tentative sip. He was shocked when the blood going down his throat tasted like chemical sweetness. It was like he was drinking fake syrup those restaurants served with pancakes. He started drinking more when he realized just how thirsty he was. It was like he was lost in the desert and had just found an oasis.

             Sanghyuk sat back and watched Taekwoon’s throat work the blood down. “See?” he laughed. “It’s better when you’re a vampire.”

             “Yeah.” The fledgling agreed. He wiped his face. “Where’s Hakyeon?” he asked when he felt the sudden pull of the bond he had created with the other. The events of last night surged through his head and he got up with more speed than he had anticipated.

             Sanghyuk was quick to react and brought the other back to bed after racing to catch Taekwoon before he could slam into the dresser. “Calm down,” he ordered. “You’re still not used to everything yet.”

             Another tug on the bond had Taekwoon trying again, managing his speed. He reached for the door but collapsed in the attempt to open it. The blood transfer really took a lot out of him. Suddenly, he felt different hands on him and a feeling of comfort wash over.

             “It’s okay,” Hakyeon cooed. “I’m here, love.” On his end, the bond was chaotic and confused. He closed his eyes, reached out, and tried to soothe his love. “Taekwoon, I’m okay, I’m okay.” He stroked the fledgling’s hair and placed gentle kisses on his lips.

             Taekwoon met each kiss as best as he could. “Hakyeon,” he gasped. “How are you?” His hands ran across the vampire’s body to try and find the wounds. “Hakyeon.” It was like he was praying to a god. He felt tears prick the corner of his eye, but he wiped them away before they could spill over.

             Hakyeon smiled and looked at Sanghyuk. “We’re okay now,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

             Nodding, Sanghyuk got up and left. He hurried down the stairs to see Jaehwan laying the last bricks in. “That was fast.”

             “Thank you.” Jaehwan set the remaining bricks down and stood back to admire his work. “Good as new.”

             “That is until another body’s thrown into it.”

             “Welcome back, Hongbin.”

             The vampire closed the door behind him and stood with the three. “We should fortify it.”

             “We’re not living in a fortress,” Jaehwan retorted. “How’s Taekwoon doing?” he asked Sanghyuk.

             Sanghyuk filled the two in on what had happened while trying not to laugh when he recapped on Taekwoon getting used to his speed. “Almost hit a wall,” he chuckled. “Hakyeon’s with him.”

             Hongbin’s eyes widened. “Hakyeon’s up? I thought he’d be still sleeping.”

             Shrugging, Jaehwan headed for the fridge where the blood bags were stored. “He probably felt Taekwoon freaking out through the bond.”

             The other two nodded in agreement, took out a blood bag of their own, and joined Jaehwan on the couch. “Cheers,” they said before they drank.

             Upstairs, Taekwoon’s eyes were closed contently as Hakyeon petted his head. He would occasionally look up at the other and smile softly.

             Hakyeon savored this moment of peace and stillness with the sunlight streaming in. In all his years of living, there was never a moment more beautiful than this. “We’re gonna watch the world go by together,” he said softly.

             “I’d like that,” Taekwoon replied. “I wonder what the future holds. Flying cars, maybe?”

             Scoffing, Hakyeon kissed Taekwoon again. “Maybe. I thought the motor vehicle wouldn’t catch on.”

             “You’re that old?”

             “Hey.” Hakyeon slapped Taekwoon’s shoulder playfully. “Rude.”

             Taekwoon laughed and shrank away from the other. As that playful atmosphere gave way to reflective calm, he sagged, his back leaning heavily on Hakyeon’s chest.

             Hakyeon could feel sadness trickle through the bond. “What’s wrong?”

             The sadness strengthened and almost overwhelmed the other emotions.

             “Hey, hey, hey.” Hakyeon guided Taekwoon into a sitting position. “Taekwoon, please talk to me.”

             The former human wiped away a few tears, cursing himself for letting them fall. “I killed him, Hakyeon.” He let out another sob. “I killed my friend!”

             Nodding in understanding, Hakyeon took Taekwoon’s hand. “Friends don’t try and kill other friends.”

             Taekwoon’s eyes flared a brilliant white. He was angry at Wonsik, he was angry at himself. “Why couldn’t he let us go?” The question was more rhetorical than everything.

             Hakyeon could not answer that; the only one who could was dead.

             “And I’m sorry too,” Taekwoon managed to say as he collected himself.

             “What ever for?” Hakyeon asked in shock. “What have you done?”

             “Bonded you to me,” replied the other. “We’re tethered until we die! Isn’t that suffocating?”

             Hakyeon had never bonded with anyone to the level of this bond, but he was sure everything was going to be okay. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he whispered. “I love you so much. Even without the bond, I would stay with you forever.” With the onrush of emotion, his eyes flared purple.

             Taekwoon’s sparked white again, and he leaned in for a kiss.

             Hakyeon met him halfway, and the two plunged deep into the bond and felt each other’s love.

             Their tongues danced around each other as Taekwoon’s back hit the bed. They had all of eternity to be together. What were they waiting for?

             Upon hearing what was going on upstairs, the three vampires all elected to go out for the day.

             That night was a downpour, and the scents were washed away from the pavement. The clouds covered the moon in an inky blackness and the rain pounded on the roof. No one cared, however, as the thunder boomed, and lightning flashed through the sky.

**Ending a story is a bit of a struggle for me, but there you go! Thank you so so much for sticking with me, dear readers! I hope you all liked this story! If this inspires you guys in anyway, I am happy. I couldn’t have done it without all the support, and I hope to write more for you guys. Bye from ThePoisonPen!**


	26. A/N: Big Important Question!

Hello, everyone! I want to take the opportunity to say that I thank everyone who read and supported my story! This is my most popular one, and I hope I delivered!

Now here is the big question:

 

Should I start writing explicit smut?

 

I've been really cautious about that stuff, mostly because it's a touchy subject, and I don't want potential employers finding it. However, I've tried writing a bit, and I found it very fun!

 

Please tell me what you think, your opinions, and whether or not I should write smut. This will be extremely helpful in my decision making process!

 

Thank you so, so, so, much, every single one of you!


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